


My Angel

by BelieveInLove94



Category: Hannah Montana (TV), Hannah Montana The Movie (2009)
Genre: Canon Lesbian Relationship, Drama, Drama & Romance, F/F, Family, Family Drama, Hurt/Comfort, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-09
Packaged: 2019-03-16 02:53:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 27,166
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13627074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BelieveInLove94/pseuds/BelieveInLove94
Summary: "They say when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Well I have tried plenty of times. Whenever life would throw me lemons, I always managed to make lemonade but when I did, life would throw me more lemons. Life never has a habit of going my way." Miley looks back on her life and hopes for an angel to help her through this life she is in. LILEY





	1. Chapter 1

They say when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Well I have tried plenty of times. Whenever life would throw me lemons, I always managed to make lemonade but when I did, life would throw me more lemons. Life never has a habit of going my way. Sometimes I just curl up in the corner of the room crying because it becomes too overwhelming for me to face.

My name is Miley Stewart and this is my story.

Growing up I was very happy. I had two parents that loved me, even though they were divorced. They divorced a year after I was born so I don't remember anything from the divorce. I just know they stopped getting along as a married couple but they are best friends now. That fact alone has helped me get through these last few years where my life was a rollercoaster.

I had a lot of friends in elementary school. We had parties together, we hung out together all the time. I even had a best friend but we'll get to her later. This went on until the end of fourth grade when my life started turning upside down. My dear grandmother passed away. She was my main best friend. She lived with my mom and me so she pretty much helped raise me. I told her everything and trusted her with every problem I was having. She would even sit there and listen to me talk about my guy best friend that I had known since kindergarten. Travis. I could say his name all day. I pretty much did. I had a little puppy crush on him at the time but I will get to that later too.

Right now I will focus on everything that happened right after she died. After she died I pretty much had no one to go to. My dad was on a business trip in Europe and I couldn't call him as much as I would have liked. My mom met a guy named Ray. They started dating. This really affected me. I know what people are thinking. They are thinking that I was jealous of him taking time away from my mom but that is far from the truth. This man was a jerk and when I say jerk I mean bully at the playground jerk. He wouldn't speak to me when they first started dating. He would just come over and was just kind of there. My mom fell hard for him. She thought he was the greatest man on earth while everyone else saw right through him. She still raved about him. I would try to talk to him but he would just grunt or turn the volume up on the tv. That was what they did on their dates. He would come over and watch TV with my mom.

I had to call him Mr. Sharp. I couldn't call him Ray because he said I had no reason to call him by his first name. I remember going camping with him and my mom once. He sat there and only talked to my mom. He pretended like I wasn't even there and I felt so lonely. My best friend at the time hated camping so she wouldn't go with me. I loved camping and going to Florida for vacations until he came along. Once when they were dating, he just showed up in Florida to surprise my mom. Then he asked her if they could go out to dinner, just the two of them and leave me in the hotel. She agreed and heated me up a frozen pizza for dinner. The next time, he brought is nine year old daughter who would punch me and kick me for fun. No one ever got her in trouble for that. We had to do whatever he wanted. If I wanted to do something, too bad. His idea of fun on vacation is hiking ten miles. Then he would lay on the beach for twelve hours a day then walk inside crying, not understanding why he got a sunburn. It was so much drama and so much treating me like the third wheel that made me decide to quit going when I was sixteen.

When I was eleven my guy best friend, Travis, tried out for the football team. I supported him and told him that he should do it. When we were in kindergarten he made me promise him that if I became a singer and he became a world famous football player, I would let him throw a football across the stage. He looked at me and asked him if I would still let him. I just smiled and nodded. I knew he would be something someday. Little did I know, by supporting him going into the football team, I would be throwing away the friendship. Shortly after he became a football player, he joined the popular crowd. Now you see, I was kind of a dork so in order to please the popular crowd, he stopped speaking to me.

I even had a teacher bully me in fifth grade. I would be sitting reading a book and she would grab me and pull me up by the arm and push me toward a group of girls and tell me to talk with them. That was pretty awkward because these girls were in their own conversation, they didn't want me to intervene. This same teacher gave me recess detention for asking to go to the bathroom but on my way back from the bathroom I got a drink from the water fountain outside the classroom. I got detention for not following directions. She also gave me detention for telling her this girl wouldn't stop kicking me when she was out of the room.

Then I had a friend whom I had known since kindergarten. Our school was going on a field trip to the bowling alley. I got into a group with her and a couple of her friends. She told me that she didn't want me in her group and that I should join another one. I told the teacher who did put me in another group but it still hurt because I did trust her.

If that wasn't bad enough, I was also having issues with my best friend. After my grandmother died I told her. She didn't talk to me for months after she found out. I didn't really get back in touch with her until seventh grade. Seventh grade was the same year my mom and Ray got married. By this time I was used to being called stupid or just another man's daughter by him. He never liked me because I was another man's daughter. Whenever I asked him if I could call him Ray, his response was, "That comes with responsibilities." I tried to confide in my best friend, Maria, the one I was talking about earlier but all she said was, "As long as your mom is happy, that's all that matters." I started thinking about my happiness. Because of my stepdad telling me I was fat I made myself throw up once. It was just once though, I hated how I felt afterwards. Maria and I were having sleepovers where I would break down crying about my stepdad but she would just sit there and stare at me while I cried. She never hugged, comforted me, or even acted like she cared. She was never there when I needed her but I was always there when she needed me.

This same year in seventh grade, I had to have major surgery. I had a cyst that caused me terrible pain. It lasted for about a month to the point where my mom got me up to get ready for school and I couldn't get up. The pain was too much so she took me to the hospital. I had to have tons of tests and had people poking me with stuff. It was either an IV or something that had medicine in it that made me sick. I found out something that day that changed my life forever. I only had a 50/50 percent chance of living. The cyst could burst on its own or I could run into something and it would give me internal bleeding. I had mixed feeling about this. On one hand, I would get away from my stepdad and I would go to Heaven and be happy, but on the other hand, I was only thirteen. My mom made me stay home from school for the two weeks before the surgery. I had the surgery and all went well. My best friend, Maria never called to check on me and never even visited me so I decided I was pretty much done with that friendship. I stayed home for the next few months and only really was able to attend the last few weeks of school. Oh and the whole time my mom was at the hospital with me, my stepdad was mad because she wasn't home with him.

Then, eighth grade happened, Eighth grade was absolute hell. I blocked out most of what happened because the pain was too much. I lost many of my friends because of nasty rumors spread about me. I don't even remember what they were. The only ones I remember was that I never went out and that I was a loner. There were boys who used to walk into school and spray me with water guns or they would grab my backpack and push me into walls. I remember at one point one of the eighth graders asked me about the scar on my side in the girls' locker room. I told them about my cyst and their response was that I should have died. In the school cafeteria, we had assigned seats. You could only sit with your class in the lunchroom, if you sat with another class you got three hours after school detention. Well I sat with these group of girls who seemed friendly at first. They didn't really talk to me but they didn't tell me I couldn't sit with them either. None of my friends were in my class so I had no choice. They never pulled me into a conversation but I was really shy to begin with. The only class I really had with my friends was my chorus class. Some of my best friends were in that class and I was happiest there. They were at my lunch too but since they weren't in my history class, I couldn't sit with them.

This went on for a while until one day the unthinkable happened. They looked at me and decided they didn't want me sitting with them anymore. They told me not to sit with them and to sit someplace else. I tried to go to every table my class was sitting at and ask if I could sit with them and everyone said no. So I took my lunch and ate at the last table no one was sitting at. I sat there for one day and by the end people had thrown food all over me. I found a few tater tots in my hair and had ketchup on me. The next day that lasted for five minutes until I finally got my lunch and ate in the stall in the girls' bathroom. Every day I had to do this. I couldn't escape my bullies in the hallway or the one in my English class who would always laugh and make fun of me in front of the whole class when I walked in but I could at least try to get some peace during lunch. I never told anyone about any of this from fear of just getting bullied worse. Towards the end of the year though, I was forced to tell. This other eighth grader walked into the bathroom during lunch and saw my lunchbox on the floor of the stall. She peeked into the little crack to see what I was doing in there. I know, creepy but that's what she did. She went and told her teacher who came in and knocked on the door. I came out and the teacher started reprimanding me for eating in the bathroom and dragged me into the principal's office.

This just started more drama. I tried to call my mom to tell her everything that happened but the secretary heard me and yanked the phone out of my hand while I was crying on the phone with my mom and slammed the phone back down. She yelled at me for trying to call my mom and grabbed me by the arm and pushed me toward the closed door of the principal's office. My mom was at work and was so scared that something happened to me that she drove right to the school and walked into the office. At this point I was talking to the principal. I had told no one the extent to how badly I had been bullied until now. My mom didn't even know. The principal called my mom into the office with me. She was telling me that I could get in school suspension for eating in the girls' bathroom instead of the lunchroom. I broke down crying. I had never been in trouble before so I decided to tell them both everything that happened. Once I did the principal told me I wouldn't be suspended but I couldn't eat in the bathroom anymore. My mom asked if I could sit with my friends in the lunchroom even though they weren't in my class. The principal said no because if she made an exception for me then she would have to make one for everyone. She told me that I could eat in the counselor's office. I also told the principal what the secretary did to me and she said she would investigate. She sent me home for the day so that I could rest.

The next day I went back into the principal's office because she had talked to the bullies and to the secretary and of course, all of them said they didn't do anything. She knew I was telling the truth but she refused to do anything to stop the bullies. I sat in the counselor's office during lunch. Unfortunately it was in front of a window where a bunch of the bullies from the lunchroom would gather, point at me, and laugh. I eventually told the counselor who was more understanding that the principal. She put me in the meeting room where no one could see me. I was all alone in this room for lunch, for the rest of the year. I had no one. My ex best friend Maria and I weren't speaking. She wouldn't have been there for me anyway. My other best friend Travis no longer spoke to me because he was popular and I wasn't. I went home one day during the last week of school and decided I had had enough. I grabbed a bunch of pain pills and was going to kill myself. I was going to go to Heaven where I was loved and protected. I poured the pills into my hand and put them in my mouth. I just felt the taste in my mouth for a minute until I glanced at the family picture from when I was younger. My mom and dad almost died when they found out I probably wouldn't live through my cyst and they were overjoyed when they found out I would live. I thought of my cousin and how much it would kill her if something happened to me. My great aunt and great uncle, my grandmother's sister and brother in law, would have been devastated. I ran into my bathroom and spit the pills out into the toilet and flushed the toilet. My stepdad may have hated me, the bullies in school may have wanted me dead, but I could have never caused that type of pain to my family.

After that I didn't know about how I was anymore. I went to school the last day. The eighth graders had an eighth grade graduation before we entered high school. One of my favorite teachers had put pictures together of all of the eighth graders. When my picture came up, a bunch of the people who bullied me screamed "EEEWWW." I broke down right there in the middle of everyone.

I entered high school and it was better. Mainly because I made sure to tell someone when I was being bullied. The only major thing that happened was that the teacher asked the class if they knew what a condom was. I raised my hand and she pointed at me and said I had a penis. Now I look back and laugh because I am a girl, I don't have a penis but this started nasty rumors at school. I went to the principal and he refused to do anything. I told my mom and this time she told him she would take the school to the board if they didn't do anything. The principal still didn't do anything and we did go to the board. The principal got into a lot of trouble and in the meeting with the superintendent and the principal the principal couldn't look me in the eye. The superintendent knew that he had no intention of helping me. Other than that it was ok. I still went through without any friends for one reason.

The only good thing during eighth grade was that I met my new best friend. Her name was Diana. She went to a different middle school and high school than I did but we became fast friends. She really helped me at this point in my life. I really loved her and she loved me. We were best friends for four years after eighth grade. She was good for me in eighth grade but then things started to change in high school. She started talking me into not hanging out with anyone except her. She started threatening that she would cut herself if I didn't stop crying. This happened gradually over the four years. She told me not to have any friends except her while she could have plenty. I wanted to have a best friend so badly that I would have done anything to make her happy. My senior year of high school was when I stopped speaking to her because I realized that she was not my friend. She was toxic. I also started becoming friends with Travis again my senior year. I fell in love with him. I went to his football games and cheered me on. He called me his good luck charm. Then he just stopped speaking to me again out of the blue.

Now I had no one. I had to tell myself that. I had no one.

My freshmen year in college was really good. I actually had friends but they were just friends in my classes. I wanted to add them on Facebook but was so afraid of rejection that I didn't. My shyness and fear of rejection really was the only thing that held and continues to hold me back.

The only bad thing about my freshmen year was that I saw Maria in college. We became best friends again and I thought she wanted to be best friends with me. It turns out she only needed me to do stuff for her. My great uncle passed away last Christmas and she was never there for me, just like with my grandmother. I was always there for her though, carrying her books when she broke her leg, picking her up because her car broke down, copying off of my study guide because I had the right answers. Then she started making fun of me on Twitter and I stopped being friends with her right away.

Remember my stepdad? Yeah, things with him had gotten a lot worse. When I was eighteen he and my mom went on a romantic vacation over Easter and he and mom refused to drop me off at a family member's house even though it was on the way to where they were going. I was forced to spend Easter alone. He got mad at me because I sat in a chair at the kitchen table that he claimed wasn't my chair, it was his. I no longer went on vacations with him and my mom because he would get mad whenever we didn't do what he wanted to do and would mope around until mom would give in. He got mad once because I ate some potato chips that were on the counter and he yelled calling me a bitch and told my mom that I shouldn't be allowed to eat his potato chips. My mom didn't allow this. She told him I could eat whatever I wanted in my house. He's still mad about that. He took me out to eat once but he just didn't talk and only did it because my mom was mad at him for not getting to know me. The only reason he ever did anything for me was because my mom would be mad at him and he would manipulate his way back onto her good side. Finally a few months ago my mom said she had had enough and threw him out and said she would get a divorce.

It has been such a peaceful few months. No arguing, no yelling, my house has been completely peaceful just like it used to be. It has felt like heaven

Like I said, life never has a habit of going my way.

Right now I am sitting in the corner of my room with my knees up to my chest crying. I just found out that my mom is going to let my stepdad move back in. My dad lives in California and I am in Tennessee so there is no way I can move in with him. All because my stepdad made promises that he will change and be nicer to me, she believes him, and he will move back in and I will be back to square one. No friend to talk to, my mother consumed with my stepfather. I want to go back to a time when my life was simpler. When my grandmother was alive, when I was loved more than anything I could ever imagine. I all of a sudden stand up and slam my hand onto my desk and walk out of the French doors onto my balcony. I look up into the heavens, me, Miley Stewart, has never been the type to yell at the skies but this time I had too. I prayed, "Lord, send me an angel, a miracle. Right now I am so alone, I have no one! Please, I will do anything you want." I slide down onto the floor of the balcony and fall on my knees in tears. "Please, please just send me someone."

The next morning I wake up to my alarm going off. I hit the button to my alarm clock and slowly get up. I don't remember going to bed. I just remember being in tears. I am extremely tired but I get up and get dressed anyway.

I do remember last night and I'm still depressed about it. I feel like I'm drowning with no one to really care for me. I am sitting in the school student lounge right now. Biology class just ended and I had to put stuff together in my notebook. I get up to walk out and back to my car. I am so busy looking inside my notebook that I don't even realize the person walking toward me distracted by her work. We run smack dab into each other, our papers flying everywhere.

"I'm sorry," we both say at the same time. After I help pick up the papers I look up to see a girl who I think might be in my class. She has blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes of anyone I've ever met. We hand each other back our papers and I smile at her. "Are you in my Biology class?" I ask.

"Yeah, I think so. I'm Lilly Truscott."

I reach out my hand and shake her hand. I feel like I should know her. "I'm Miley Stewart. It's nice to meet you."

"It's nice to meet you too. Did you understand what our professor was talking about at all today? I felt like she just rambled."

I laughed. It was kind of boring. "Yeah but that egg experiment was kind of cool"

"Yeah, aren't you in Mr. Smith's Sociology class too?" I nod my head. She has a look of relief in her face when she says, "Do you know how to work the website? I'm trying to get to the assignment."

"Oh that's not due until next week so don't worry but I'm in no rush so if you want we can go to the computer lab and I can show you," I say with a smile.

"Ok, thanks." We walked to the computer lab and I couldn't help how comfortable around her. I found out that she was a sophomore like me and we somehow wound up in all of our five classes together. We were apparently in a lot of our classes together last semester too, weird, I never really noticed her. After I showed her how to work the website we decided to sit and study together. We wound up laughing and talking most of the time though.

"So have you lived in Tennessee all your life?" She asks me.

"Yeah I have. How about you?"

"My mom and I just moved down here from Malibu after she and my dad divorced and she got promoted at her job. I live over in Crowley Corners Place."

"That's where I live too. Leave it to a small town to name a subdivision after the town. I live at house number 801." I say as I smile. I feel completely happy.

"I live at house number 803," she says as her smile brightens. "Maybe we should start going to school together?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. It sure would be nice to have company, just as long as you don't mind me singing to the car radio." I always loved doing that, Maria hated it when she rode with me.

I see Lilly smile, "I love to sing along to the car radio. Where did you say your dad lives again?"

"He lives in Malibu and my brother Jackson lives with him and goes to Malibu community college." Oh I forgot to mention my brother Jackson in my story. He was there but he and I always messed with each other. He really just ignored my stepdad.

"That's where I used to live. My best friend Oliver still lives there. I think you two would like each other too."

"I think we would." Oliver. I feel like I should know him. "Hey, want to get an ice cream at the ice cream parlor? They have the best mint chocolate chip."

Lilly nods her head. "You know, I think this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship." Hmm, friendship. I look up at the heavens briefly. Maybe things can go my way.


	2. Chapter 2

I took a big bite out of my ice cream cone as Lilly was telling me about her friend Oliver. So far I have found out that we are both very similar. We both love to write and we both play the guitar. I never really had a friend that I shared so many similarities with. Even when I told Maria and Diana that I could sing and that I dreamed of being a singer, the first thing they asked me was how much I would get paid. I told Lilly only to find out that she can sing too. I remember Maria always laughed at that dream telling me it was a silly dream. Lilly believes I can do it.

"Miles, are you ok?" Lilly asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. I look into those blue eyes and see her gaze upon me.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I was just thinking of something. So you really call Oliver a doughnut?" I asked chuckling to myself.

"Yeap," Lilly said matter of factly as she bit into her ice cream. She must have noticed me laughing because she then said, "That's what he is." We both broke down in hysterics. I haven't laughed this hard with anyone else. I never want this to end but somehow it always does. No one wants to befriend the broken girl.

When our laughing finally died down, Lilly took out her cell phone. "Let's exchange cell phone numbers, I want to be able to text you."

I smiled and took out my cell phone. She's the first friend I ever had who actually asked if we could exchange cell phone numbers. I usually was the one who took the initiative. We exchanged phones and put in our phone numbers. I have a feeling this friendship will last a long time but with my history, I can't help but be a little skeptical. I know mom has always told me to not be so cautious but I feel like I have to be to keep from being hurt.

"There you go drifting off again." I look up and see her smiling and I smile back. "I wonder what you're thinking up there," she says as she taps my forehead with her finger.

"My mind drifts off sometimes, I'm a writer, you'll get used to it." No one ever has before. I feel her take my hand and squeezes it as she says, "I can't wait to get used to it." I smile at her and squeeze her hand back.

I'm lying in my bed now, about to go to sleep. It was funny, even after I got home Lilly and I were constantly texting. She listens to me like I listen to her. I'm probably weird but she doesn't care. It's a weird concept but I like it. I'm about to drift off until I hear my phone go off. I look at it and see a text from Lilly.

'Are you asleep?'

'No, I'm not. What's up?'

'You know that reading assignment we have a test on in Lit class tomorrow? It's confusing, it's in Arthurian English. Who can understand that.' We did have a story to read about Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere. It was a hard reading.

'I didn't get it either Lils. I mean, I got that Guinevere was cheating on King Arthur with Lancelot but that was about it.'

'I think it also has something to do with the chivalric codes with the knights.'

'I'm pretty sure you're right Lilly'

'Of course I'm right lol. I'm going to bed now, goodnight.' I laughed at this.

'Goodnight.' I put my phone on my dresser next to my bed and went back to sleep.

I woke up the next morning happy. I have a friend and I have a feeling she's a true friend. It was weird though, I kind of feel butterflies when I think of her. Is that normal? I never thought that way about Diana or Maria but whatever. Maybe it's just the fact that I have a friend. I walked downstairs and sat at the table. I had pancakes and put syrup and butter on them. I also made sure I had a cup of coffee. Coffee has become a good friend of mine since I started college, especially during my first semester where I would procrastinate so badly that I would be up all night writing my papers. Yeah, I wouldn't recommend doing that. I glanced up to see my mom walking into the room.

"Good morning darlin', how'd you sleep?"

"I slept fine mom." She gets her cup of coffee and sits across from me. I can't help but notice how tired her eyes look. Probably the stress of everything.

"I need to talk to you honey, it's about Ray." I glance up at the clock. I have time before I go pick up Lilly. "Sure mom, what's up?" She sighs and says, "I'm starting to really miss him." I rolled my eyes. Sure it probably made me look like a brat but I'm tired of him. He thinks he can just waltz in here and be mean to everyone and he expects everyone to just take it. He thinks the world revolves around him.

"Well, there's nothing you can do with how you feel mom." I understand that to a point. I was really falling in love with Travis my senior year of high school. People don't get why I still care about him but it's just how it is. She just sighs and looks at her coffee.

"I want you to go out to lunch with him tomorrow after your class. You two need to establish a relationship." I froze. The only movement I made was to gulp down my last drink of coffee. You know that moment when you think your life is going really well and then someone comes in a crushes it. Yeah that's how I felt.

"Mom he hasn't tried in nine years. Now all of a sudden he want to? Is he just sucking up so you can let him move back in? I'm sorry but let's face the facts here. He's pushed me around and now when he gets a shred of hope that you may let him move back in he wants a relationship with me? How do I know he's being sincere mom?" Don't ask me where my bravery is coming from.

"Can't you just meet him halfway, for me at least?" I sigh and grab my backpack. I'm really dreading tomorrow. I have a bad feeling about it.

"I'll see you after school mom. I love you." I give her a hug as she says, "I love you too darlin'. Be careful." I walk out and get into my car. Maybe I should call daddy. Maybe I can transfer to California and live with him. Then I think about Lilly. No, I can't move to California. I've finally made a new friend. I'll stay here. I smile as I think about picking her up. I drive the short distance to pick her up. She's already walking out the front door as pull up. She smiles and waves as she gets to my car. I can already feel those butterflies again.

"Hey Miles," she says as she gets in my car.

"Hey Lils, how are you doing today?"

'I'm doing good. How about you?"

"I'm doing ok. I have Taylor Swift in my cd player now but if you want to change cd's I have others in my cd case on the floor." I'm trying to change the subject. I've noticed that she's been able to see right through me even though we just met.

I look at her and her blue eyes have lightened up as she says, "I love Taylor Swift."

I turn my cd player back on and Sparks Fly come out of the CD player as I back out of the driveway. "I love Taylor Swift too. She just really knows how to put emotions into words." Lilly smiles as I start singing along to the song. Soon Lilly joins me and I forget all about what mom said to me this morning. All that matters is how happy I feel right at this very moment.

We eventually get to school. I got out of the car and went to open my trunk where out backpacks are. I pop open my trunk and walk around the car to get my books when I see something. A bee on the top of the trunk of my car. It is kind of hanging over the trunk so if I go to open it, it will fly right in my face or sting me. Did I forget to mention I'm afraid of bees?

"Umm Lilly, there's a bee on the trunk. If we touch the trunk then he might sting us." I saw Lily walk to stand next to me and she saw the bee. I move closer and slightly touch the trunk but it doesn't budge. I glance behind me to see her laughing at me. "Go ahead and laugh Lils, I don't see you being much help." I smile a bit as I turn back around to focus on this dang bee.

I decide to try again except I'll lift the trunk harder. This bee is always here in this parking lot and it always goes after me. I run around like a crazy person trying to get it away from me every time. I lift the trunk harder and jump away really quickly. The bee flies off but instead of going towards me, it goes towards Lilly. Her laughing at me quickly goes away as she runs back around the car and gets back in it. Now I'm the one laughing.

I go to the passenger car door and open it saying, "See, it's not so funny when the bee is after you." I smile at her as she looks up at me.

"Oh hush. You would have done the same thing," she says as she laughs.

"I do, every single day." Lilly got back out of the car as I shut the door behind her. We grabbed our stuff out of my trunk and walked to class. Of course we talked more. We got to our Psychology class and sat next to each other. This class is a discussion class more than a lecture. The textbook asks thought provoking questions that we discuss in class and on our exams we get asked things that we have to put a lot of thought into. I was snapped out of my thoughts when Lilly tapped me on the shoulder.

"Miles, you should join into the discussions more. Just by the conversations we've had I can tell you do have a lot to say." It's true. I am always wanting to join in discussions but something holds me back. It's like I am about to say something but I feel a lump in my throat that makes me unable to speak.

"I'll try Lils. I just can never find a good time to speak when everyone else keeps talking." She looks at me like she doesn't completely believe me. It's true, I am shy and that has always been a roadblock for me. Anyway, the chapter we had to read by today was about post- traumatic stress disorders and I used to have that. I remember having horrible night terrors at night of being in eighth grade again. They always ended with me waking up screaming and crying with my mom comforting me. I also had stress seizures. I don't anymore, freshmen year of high school was a huge stress on me.

The professor comes in and shuts the door behind her and it snaps me out of my thoughts. "Remember, try to join in," I hear Lilly whisper in my ear. I look at her and smile and give a slight nod of my head.

The first part of class was spent with the professor talking about the first part of the textbook then we got to the part about post-traumatic stress disorder. The teacher asked if anyone had anything to add about that. No one said anything. It was like God was telling me to speak. I just hope Lilly wants to be friends with me after I tell the story. Once people hear about it, the always leave.

I raise my hand and the teacher calls on me. I start to tell what happened to me in eighth grade and about how I had post- traumatic stress disorder. I didn't get into everything since it would have been a while until I ended the story. I just told the major things. Surprisingly, I didn't even feel the urge to cry. I just started shaking for some reason. I looked at some of my classmates and the professor. The professor looked shocked and some of the classmates, some who were parents themselves, jaws had dropped open. I couldn't look at Lilly though. Remember what I said about people leaving me after I tell them this, about how no one wants to fix the broken girl. MI all of a sudden feel someone grab my hand under my desk, we're sitting in a circle, and I look over to see Lilly and I smile at her.

My professor speaks and breaks the silent language between Lilly and I. Is it me or did I actually feel support? "I am so sorry that that happened to you. Now I want to go find them and get them." I laughed with the rest of the class when my professor said that. I decide to speak afterwards and say, "Well you know it's funny. I was reading this chapter and I realized that even though the physical parts of my post-traumatic stress disorder are gone, the emotional parts still remain. I am very shy and as much as I want to talk something keeps me from it. I don't have many friends and it's really hard for me sometimes."

"You know, I have noticed that you don't talk a lot during discussions and I can't help but feel that it is your way of wanting to be invisible. Kind of like it sounds like you wanted to be in eighth grade." That's funny that my professor thought of that. I never thought of it like that but it could be true.

"I do find myself wanting to be invisible. There are times I just want to sink down in my desk and disappear."

Then another guy, who was probably in his fifties spoke up, "That is beast-like behavior that they put you through. That's not even human."

"Well, I don't know about beast…." My professor cut me off and said, "They bullied you to the point where you felt worthless and had to hide in the bathroom. That is definitely not human behavior. They were acting like beasts." Yeah, I guess I never really thought of it that way. I don't know many people who would allow a peer to eat in the bathroom by themselves.

The class went by quickly after that. We mainly discussed how humans could be so cruel. My professor said that she didn't even know if she could forgive the people who bullied me. She wanted to go find them and talk to them. She also apologized that something like that could happen to me. Lilly didn't really say anything. She just continued to hold my hand. It feels good to hold her hand.

When class was over Lilly and I walked outside in silence. I didn't even look at her. I couldn't. Usually this was the point where the person would leave me. They would leave me to handle my life by myself. If I have to do that anymore then I will not go on.

All of a sudden I am pulled out of my thoughts when I feel a pair of arms wrap around my wait. I wrap my arms around Lilly as I hear her whisper in my ear, "I am so sorry you had to deal with that Miles." I hug her tighter as I feel warm tears surface my eyes. I didn't care if I was in the college parking lot, no one is out here anyway. I finally had someone comforting me and I was going to take advantage of it. I felt tears slowly going down my cheeks. She doesn't even know all of it. I barely scratched the surface in there. I never tell anyone about my stepdad. No one even knows I have one. I never talk about him.

I take a deep breath as I say, "I didn't even scratch the surface Lils. There is so much more."

I feel Lilly squeeze me as I continue to cry on her shoulder. I've never been comforted like this. Not even by my own mom. She never even hugs me when I cry. Most of the time I'm told to get over it and left to deal with it on my own. No one should have to go through that. It does feel good though, being comforted.

"Miles?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you um, do you still want to kill yourself like you did back then?"

"Sometimes. It has crossed my mind in the last couple of weeks. I haven't had that feeling in the last couple of days though." It's true, ever since I met Lilly I really haven't thought about it. Sure I may be rushing into this friendship and giving my hopes up like I usually do but for the first time, this friendship feels right.

"Can I ask you something?" Lilly asks me. I can still feel her squeezing me as if she is trying to make sure that I am breathing. Is it me or does she actually want to still be friends with me?

"Can you call me if you feel like you want to do anything to hurt yourself? You're the only person I have felt such a strong connection with besides Oliver. I can't lose you."

I smile through my tears and hug her closer. "I promise, I will." We stood there in silence for a couple of more minutes until I stopped crying.

After a couple of minutes we both pull away. I saw lines on her cheeks where tears had gone down her face. I never thought that it would affect her in this way. We barely know each other.

"Do you want to know a secret?" She asks me. I look at her and nod my head.

"You're the first girl who has been a friend of mine. Before you my only best friend was Oliver and all my other friends were boys that I knew at the skate park. All the other girls in my school were kind of snobby. Especially these two girls. Their names were Amber and Ashley. They always made fun of me because I liked to wear hats and would have rather dressed in jeans, a shirt, and sneakers than heels and skirts. I got a lot of lesbian jokes thrown at me for that."

Wow. That must have been hard for her to confess. I feel proud to know that she felt comfortable enough with me to share that. A big part of me was also mad at those people. Lilly is the nicest person I've ever met. How could they be so mean to her? Now I see why she wants me to call her when I feel like taking my life. She needs me just as much as I need her.

"I take her hand in mine and say "Come on Lils, let's go for a walk." She smiles at me as we walk toward the park that is across from our college. We continue to hold hands as we walk in silence. It's strange to think that we have only known each other for a couple of days. It feels like forever.

"Are you ready for our British Lit test Lils?" I ask.

"No, I think we should study together from now on because that reading was difficult."

I smile and say, "I agree." We continued and walk and talked a little bit about the reading that we were about to have a test on. Certain parts one of us understood more than the other so that helped. I did realize on the walk though that I had forgotten all about my lunch with my stepdad tomorrow. All of a sudden a feeling of dread overcame me. I would tell Lilly but I feel like she has found out a lot about me today. She doesn't need to know just yet.

The test went pretty well. Lilly and I were talking about it on our way home and we both thought we did ok but not great.

Right now, Lilly and I are sitting on her bed. We had been studying for the last couple of hours. "Do you want to stay for dinner Miles? My mom out of town so I'm making dinner."

I smile. "Sure, my mom is out of town too so that just means one less thing I have to do."

I helped Lilly make dinner. I found it funny how we made dinner together like we had done it millions of times before. I grabbed the mixing spoon she needed for her without her even asking. She handed me the mixing bowl without me even asking for it. It felt like we were in sync with one another. When we sat down, we just talked about little stuff at first. Towards the end of dinner Lilly said, "Miles, have you ever felt a connection to someone but couldn't explain it?" That question came out of nowhere but...

"Honestly, before I met you I never had but now I can say I have." I say with a smile. I saw a smile that lit up her face as she said, "I feel the same way." That smile and those words set something off in me. Something that felt like butterflies?

"Hey, why don't you spend the night tonight?" she asked me. "You can go home and get your stuff and then come back."

"I smile as I say, "Sure, I'd like that. It gets lonely at home by myself."

"I know, I feel the same way, that's why I invited you to spend the night."

I smile as I say, "Ok, I'll be right back. I'm going to get my things."

I drove over to my house and walked inside. So peaceful and calm. If my stepdad moves back in, it won't be that way anymore. He'll be back to being mad because I ate a couple of potato chips that he loves. Sometimes I wonder if I was meant to move to California to be with my dad and brother but everyone tells me that I can't because I would hurt my mom. You won't believe this but this is actually my first time sleeping over at someone's house that wasn't a family member. I never felt comfortable at my other friends' houses overnight, I don't know why, but with Lilly it feels so natural. Everything feels natural with her. I feel safe around her. The only times I ever felt completely safe and not on guard was before my stepfather moved in or when I was at a family members' house.

I finally got all of my stuff together and drove back over to Lilly's. I thought about telling her about my stepdad but I don't know. I don't really tell people about him. No one that I ever met in college even knows I have one simply because I don't talk about him. I'm hugely embarrassed by the way he talks down to other people. Here I am trying to tell people to be nice to each other and not bully others and he's the biggest bully. Lilly just seems different though, she seems like I could tell her anything and she would stand by me unlike my other "friends."

I finally pull up to her house and grab my bag out of the car. I walk into her house and set my bag next to the stairs. I see Lilly looking at her DVDS.

"So, do you want to watch a movie?" Lilly asks me.

"Sure."

"Is Stepbrothers ok?"

I smile. "I love that movie."

Lilly smiled back. "So do I."

She put on the DVD and we sat together on the couch. For a while we were fully paying attention to the movie. After a while I felt something land on my shoulder. It was Lilly's head, she was asleep. I put my arm around her shoulders and rest my head on hers. It felt good and natural but at the same time I felt butterflies in my stomach. I couldn't explain the feeling. Maybe the feeling is because I actually have a best friend. I shouldn't say that and get my hopes up but that is what this feels like. Tomorrow I do have lunch with my stepdad and I could use someone to talk too. All I get out of my mom is "What about my happiness? My happiness is more important." I love my mom but I sometimes am so disappointed in her thought process.

I all of a sudden feel movement and I look down to see Lilly looking up at me.

"Is something wrong Miles? You seem like you're in deep thought there."

"Just personal stuff Lils. Nothing to be concerned about."

I see Lilly sit up and take my hands in hers. "Miley, it's not all about everyone else you know. You have a right to be happy too and whatever you're not telling is obviously making you stressed. You can tell me." Wow, it's not always about everyone else's happiness. That's the first time I've ever heard anyone to say that to me. Maybe I can tell her.

"Lils, I'm about to tell you something about me that knows. I have never told anyone in college this but I have a stepfather."

"Oh, well what's so wrong with that?"

"Do you remember the evil stepmothers in the Disney princess movies that we watched as kids." Lilly nodded her head.

"Well, just combine all of them in a male body. He is evil and has never wanted to do anything but bring me down. He is mean to everyone I know and has never hesitated to ask any friend hat I ever had why they would be friends with someone like me."

Lilly's eyes got big at that statement. "I think the better question is, why anyone would want to be friends with him." I laughed. I never really thought of it that way but it makes sense.

"He actually doesn't have any friends Lils."

"Oh what a big surprise!" Lilly says sarcastically.

I laugh. It's nice to be able to tell someone else about this and have them actually listen. I told her how he treated me since I was ten and what has been going on lately. She couldn't believe that my mom was actually considering getting back together with him.

"So tomorrow she's making my stepdad and I go out to eat together which is the last thing I want to do."

"Sounds like it. So where are you going to lunch?"

You know that diner about two minutes from here." Lilly nodded. "That's where. I don't know Lils, I just so do not want to go. Mom told me I'm shooting it down before it gets started but he's just so mean to me." I could tell Lilly was thinking about something.

"Miles, you know that little shopping strip right next to the diner? Well, how about you and I go to school together and when you go into lunch, I'll go do the shopping I need to do for my mom. That way I'll be right there in case anything goes bad." Wow, I had never had anyone offer to do that for me.

"You would do that for me?" Lilly smiled and pulled me into a hug.

"Of course Miles. That's what best friends are for." Best friends. I think I could get used to this."

We talked late into the night and fell asleep on Lilly's bed. The next morning I woke up with my arms around Lilly, her head on my chest. It felt good. I didn't know what this meant but it did feel right. Today was the day I had to have lunch with my stepdad. I never expected Lilly to actually be willing to come with me. I've never actually had a friend that has done that before. Actually all of my other friends seemed to have left me when I needed them.

All of a sudden I heard a voice that has grown to be my favorite over the last couple of days, "Miles?"

"Hmm?"

"You're body feels tense. Are you nervous about today?"

"I am. Lils, I just know he is going to say something to hurt me. He always does and I do love my mother but I hate the decisions she makes when it comes to him."

"Well Miles, just because we love someone doesn't mean we love the decisions they make."

"Can I just crawl in a hole for today?" Lilly laughed.

"No, I would miss you." I smiled. "Well, I guess we better get ready to start the day. Think about it this way Miles. The sooner we get started the sooner lunch will be over."

I sigh, "Yeah, I guess you're right."

We got up and got ready for school. I wasn't very talkative in the car on our way to school. I couldn't believe it. I'm usually a strong individual when it comes to stress in my life. This lunch thing is tearing me to pieces though. I pulled into the parking lot and put the car in park. I slammed my head down on the wheel and started shaking my head. Here I am with a new best friend then something comes up that makes me upset again. I then felt an arm wrap around my back and a hand rubbing my arm.

"Miles?"

"Yeah Lils?"

"Are you ok?"

"I'm nervous as heck about lunch. I just know in my gut something will go wrong. I just know it."

"Come here." I felt Lilly pull me into a hug. "Shh, I'll be right there if you need me," Lilly whispered in my ear." I let out my emotions and fears right there in the car. No one has ever comforted me like this when it comes to my stepdad. Unfortunately in this town he has a lot of supporters and most of my family lives out of our small town. I felt Lilly slowly rubbing my back as I took a deep breath. I we didn't leave now we would be late for Biology.

We eventually went into class right as the professor walked in. I couldn't really pay attention in class because I was so worked up. I felt tense and my neck, back, and shoulders were sore by the end of the day. That was the point where I wondered, is it even worth it? Is this pain worth it anymore? I didn't know. All I knew was I wanted to live for Lilly. She is my best friend.

After class, we walked slowly back to my car. We drove to the restraint and I parked in front of it. We were early so we just sat in the car. I felt Lilly rubbing my back and shoulders. It felt so good. It was silent but it was like she was making sure I remembered that she was there. As it got closer to time I said, "Well, I guess I better go in."

"Yeah, you probably should. Would you like to say a prayer." I nodded my head and we prayed together then we both got out of the car. I gave Lilly my car keys and said, "Here are my keys so you can put your things away in my car."

"Thanks Miles. Good luck," she said as she gave me a hug. We held onto the hug for a couple of minutes then we finally pulled away. She smiled and said, "Come on Miles, can you at least give me that smile that I love seeing?"

"I gave her a slight smile. "See, that's better. Remember, I'm right here if you need me." I nodded my head then gave her a quick hug. Afterwards I walked into the restaurant and got a table. My stepfather is late. I sat there for about fifteen minutes before he finally showed up. I was a nervous wreck. At that moment I really needed a miracle. He walked over and sat across from me. He didn't look too happy about this either.

"Hi, how are you?" I asked, I might as well be polite.

"I'm ok."

"I'm doing pretty well, thanks for asking." I know that was probably rude but he didn't even ask me how I was doing. That is all he has ever thought about was himself. I could feel him glaring into me. The waitress came and I ordered we ordered our food. We didn't talk much. The hostess had sat us next to the television so his eyes were glued to the football game. When we did talk though, he didn't have such nice things to say.

"Why do you drink vitamin water? That stuff is bad for you," he said. Not only was that random but I have no idea why he even cares.

"I used to drink two gallons of diet coke in one week. Vitamin water is healthier." It's true, I used to drink two gallons of diet coke in one week. I started hating how sluggish and tired I was so I started drinking vitamin water. I have to have something with flavor, just water won't do it for me.

"Oh yeah, that was the time you were fat." Now it was my turn to glare at him. I was only ten pounds over my minimum weight, that wasn't bad. I kept my mouth shut at that comment. I didn't want him going and telling my mom that I was mean to him.

"So what do you think of me now? I know your mom said you don't like me. I glared at him.

"You just told me I was fat when I wasn't. I don't think it has started off on the right foot. This has also taken nine years for this bad relationship to develop. It won't be fixed overnight." I could feel the tension growing.

"You know when I was a kid my dad didn't love me and I turned out ok," he said. I have had about enough of him.

"Ok, I've tried to be nice and hold my tongue but let's get something straight. You are not my father. My dad lives in California now and loves me a lot and he would definitely have something to say if he knew everything. Number two, you did not turn out ok. You have been nothing but mean to me for nine years. You have called me the b word and have tried to drag me down and I am through."

"So, what about your slut days?" I was taken aback when he asked me that question.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me. You know those days, when you used to wear miniskirts and stuff. How many people did you sleep with again?"

"WHAT?" I asked trying to keep my voice down. I stood up. I was done with lunch anyway. "I wore miniskirts because I wanted too, they weren't even that short. Also, I haven't slept with anyone." Seriously, my skirts were mid-thigh length and it's true, I never slept with anyone. I'm waiting until marriage. I was starting to get upset at this point. I grabbed my purse and walked out. He was behind me. He forced me into a hug but I didn't want to hug this man. Something inside me snapped and I pushed him away while saying, "NO, STOP!" He quickly turned away and walked to his car. Tears were filling my eyes as I walked towards my car. I saw Lilly putting her things in the car and I ran to her. She turned around smiling but frowned the minute she saw my face and pulled me into a hug. I was sobbing on her shoulder.

"Miles, what happened?" My only response was to sob harder. We stood there for a couple of minutes while she comforted me.

"Miley, would you like me to drive to my house?" I nodded my face against her shoulder. I know you shouldn't let your friends drive your car but it would have been more dangerous for me to drive. We finally pulled apart and got in the car. I didn't say anything to whole ride to Lilly's house. I couldn't believe my mom was going to go back to a man like that. Lilly pulled into the driveway and we walked inside and went to her bedroom. She pulled me down on the bed with her until we were both laying on the bed. I told her what happened. Everything that he said. I couldn't understand why I reacted so strongly to him giving me a hug. I usually love hugging people. When I finished my story, I started crying again. Then Lilly pulled me into another hug and said, "Oh Miles, I'm so sorry."

I continued to sob into her shoulder while she whispered in my ear, "Shh, it's ok miles. Let it out. "We'll figure something out. I promise I will always be here for you."

At that moment, I knew, that was a promise she intended to keep.


	3. Chapter 3

It had been about a week since the lunch incident happened. Life has been a rollercoaster but there has only one difference between now and before. I have had someone stand by my side through all of it and they have never left me. She has never left me. Right now I am playing my guitar. Lately I have had a lot of inspiration. I was about to write a few words before I heard the door shut downstairs and my favorite voice calling my name.

"I'm in my room Lils." I called out as I heard her feet running up the stairs. She came into my room with a big smile on her face.

"Miles, guess what?"

"What?" I ask as I put down my guitar.

"Oliver has fall break the same days as us and he has Fridays off. He's flying down to visit Thursday afternoon and staying until Tuesday evening." Lilly sat next to me on my bed.

"That's great Lils." I said sincerely. I really couldn't wait to meet Oliver. According to everything I've heard about him, he sounds like a great guy. "I can't wait to meet him." I said with a smile.

Lilly's face lit up as she said, "He also said he couldn't wait to meet you and he's bringing a surprise." This really was wonderful. Not only did I have a friend but she wasn't embarrassed to talk about me. I remember my two ex-best friends never talked about me or posted pictures with me but they always did with their other friends. It was kind of sad really. I pulled Lilly into a hug. "Thanks Lils."

"For what?" She asked as she hugged me back.

"Just for being a great friend and wanting to include me in your life."

"You don't have to thank me for that Miles but thank you for trusting me enough to include me in your life."

The rest of the day we pretty much talked and planned what we were going to do with Oliver when he came down. I could already tell that it lot of fun.

The next day Lilly and I were walking to class talking. You would think that we would get tired of it but somehow we don't. We just have so much in common. We were about to walk into class when this guy came up to us.

"Hey, aren't you two in this class?"

"Yeah we are," Lilly said as I nodded my head.

He reached out his hand and said, "My name is Thomas."

I smiled at him as Lilly and I shook his hand, "My name is Miley and this is my best friend, Lilly."

"It's nice to meet you both. I was listening to those observations you two made on the poem we had to read last week and I found them both interesting."

Lilly smiled as she said, "Thank you, I guess two minds think alike."

Thomas laughed at Lilly's words. Thomas was a very handsome man. He was about as handsome as Travis was. He had dark brown hair and had a tiny hint of a mustache. He would answer some things in class and he really had a way with words. I'll be honest, I kind of had a tiny crush on him but of course I would never admit it out loud. The only guy that I really had a relationship with was Travis and even that was short lived.

"Well the professor said something to me about how I should join your group because you both are so smart and she is right, you both are very smart." Lilly and I glanced at each other and I could tell we were both thinking the same thing. Thomas was flirting with us. Not that I minded or anything, just saying.

I smiled at him and said, "Thank you. I've heard you answer stuff in class and you seem very smart too."

We would have continued the conversation but out professor walked in. I had to admit though, that guy was really charming and I haven't said that since I was with Travis. Maybe I will find the people I'm looking for in college. After all, I did meet Lilly in college.

The rest of the week went by pretty quickly. Lilly and I were very excited to see Oliver. I know it was probably weird that I was excited but it felt nice to make new friends. It felt nice to actually be wanted by someone in this world. Lilly's mother picked up Oliver at the airport and Lilly and I were in Lilly's living room waiting. I met Mrs. Truscott that day too and she was so nice. A little uptight since she fussed at Lilly for leaving a half-eaten doughnut on the counter but still sweet. Lilly and I were just talking about random stuff until she brought up a topic I had been avoiding.

"You know Miles, I haven't met your mom yet."

I sighed. I wasn't really talking to my mom because she was letting my stepdad move back in. I told her what happened during lunch but she brushed it off as no big deal. Lilly noticed that I got so quiet and said, "Miles, I'm sorry. Did I bring up a touchy subject?"

I shook my head. "No Lils, it's fine. I'm just not really speaking to my mother right now. She's letting my stepdad move back in this weekend and she pretty much blew off what happened during lunch and said it was no big deal."

Lilly put her arm around me and I rested my head on her shoulder. For some reason I noticed how safe and comfortable I felt in Lilly's arms. It was like no one could hurt me. All of a sudden we heard a door open and I saw Mrs. Truscott coming in the door.

"Hey mom, is Oliver here?" Lilly asked her mother as we stood up.

"Yes, he is. He's getting is suitcase right now but he said he'd be in in a minute. Oh Miley, if you want to spend fall break over here you can."

I smiled and nodded as I said, "Thanks Mrs. Truscott. I think I'll take you up on that offer."

I felt Lilly take my hand as she said to her mother, "She'll definitely take you up on that offer."

I was about to thank Lilly when I heard someone set down their suitcase. "Smokin' Oken is in the house."

Lilly ran up to Oliver taking my hand and pulling me with her. She released my hand long enough to give Oliver a big hug then she released the hug and pulled me up next to her. "I missed you Ollie. This is my best friend Miley that I've told you so much about."

I smiled and reached out my hand as I said, "I've heard so much about you, and it's nice to finally meet you."

Oliver smiled and took my hand and pulled me into a hug. Others may have been thrown off by that but I thought it was sweet.

"It's nice to meet you too Miley," Oliver said as he released me from the hug. "It feels like we've known each other for years for some reason."

I laughed as I said, "Oh I know. I've been thinking the same thing every time Lilly would tell me about you."

Lilly walked up to us and put her arms around both of our shoulders. "I'm so happy to see my two best friends getting along so well. We gave each other a group hug. At that moment I had forgotten about my stepfather and my mother. My life felt complete and not lonely like it was before I met Lilly. I was also already starting to feel close to Oliver. When we released our group hug, we turned around to see Mrs. Truscott putting chips and dip out. We went over and sat at the table, thanking Mrs. Truscott. Lilly of course cut right to the chase.

"So Ollie, what's your surprise?" I couldn't help but laugh at the excited look on her face.

"Geez Lilly, I just got here. I can't even take a bite of my chip before you ask me about the surprise." Oliver said in a joking manner.

"You're such a doughnut. Just tell us already."

"Ok, if you must know right away. I have decided to transfer here for the spring semester and go to college with you guys. I'm not really liking the college I'm going to and I've actually heard great things about the college you two are going to."

Lilly jumped up and went to hug Oliver. "That is a wonderful surprise Ollie. You really are going to love it here. Oh and Miley said she would take us horseback riding while you're down here."

I smiled and said, "I think you'll love it here in Tennessee Oliver. Don't let Lilly's excitement about horseback riding fool you though, she's scared to try it."

"Am not!" I heard Lilly say as she sat back down in her chair.

"Oh yeah? Who was it who has said she didn't feel like it the last two weekends in a row when we planned on riding horses?" I said with a hint of humor in my voice.

"Yeah Lils. It's normal to be scared the first time. I bet Miley was."

Lilly sat back in her chair as she said, "Maybe just a little."

"I remember one of the first times I started riding my horse. I was trying to get off and the horse thought he saw something that spooked him and he jumped his front legs in the air and I fell off and hit my head." Oliver started laughing as Lilly poked me in the side and said, "Not helping."

We talked for the rest of the afternoon and I called my mom to tell her I was spending fall break at Lilly's. My mom was fine with it and I could have sworn I heard my stepfather jumping up and down out of joy. I walked into the bonus room and sat down on the couch next to Lilly as she said, "What did your mom say?"

"She said it was fine."

"So Miles, Lilly told me a little about your stepfather, I bet you're happy to get away from him.

Lilly glared at Oliver but I smiled to let her know it was ok. He would find out about it eventually.

"Yeah, I actually am. He's a creep."

"He's a creepy jerk that's what he is," Lilly said as she crossed her arms. Oliver and I both started laughing at the look on Lilly's face. She didn't like my stepdad very much for how he treated me. She told me yesterday that if he ever even looks at me wrong around her that she will say something to him. Sometimes I wonder if he should be more afraid of my family, or Lilly.

"So Lilly, have you met Miley's mom yet?" Oh here we go.

"No, I haven't." Lilly said as she took a sip of her soda.

"It's not that I don't want you to Lils, it's just that, well my stepdad has a tendency to say some not so nice things to my friends. He embarrasses me so that they won't want to be my friend anymore."

"Miles, I don't think anything he says could make me stop being friends with you. He could tell me the worst things possible and I would still want to be your friend."

I gave her a skeptical look but all I got in return was a glare. I really hoped she was right. Lilly was becoming my best friend but still. I couldn't help but be skeptical though. My stepdad was really persuasive and the sad thing was, a lot of people in the town respected him because of his ideas on discipline. I just gave her a smile and then the three of us just went on talking about other stuff.

Later that I night I was lying in bed next to Lilly. Oliver was in the guest bedroom down the hall. I would have slept in the other guest bedroom but Lilly insisted that I just go ahead and share a bed with her so I decided to. For someone who has never slept over at someone's house before, I seemed to be doing pretty well. Lilly and Oliver both are great and I can definitely see me being friends with Oliver. There was just one thing about this whole situation. I was still waiting for the other shoe to drop.

I never was known for liking my life. I always hated it and never felt like there was a purpose. Ever since my stepdad moved in, it just went downhill. Then I met Lilly and now Oliver and my life somehow seemed complete. It felt like nothing could put me down.

That scared me.

Yes, Lilly and Oliver were great but in the end, everyone leaves me. That's how it always worked. People leave me and I'm alone. I was never able to fully trust people because of that. I looked over at Lilly who was lying next to me sound asleep. I couldn't help but notice how she softly snored and I got a giggle out of that. I sat up and laid my elbow on the bed to support me. I somehow wished I knew that this was a true friendship.

"Hey Lilly?" I didn't know why I said that, I didn't want to wake Lilly up but at the same time I needed someone to talk to. I saw her slowly open her eyes but completely opened them when she saw me.

"What's wrong Miles? Are you ok?" Lilly asked me as she sat up with a concerned look on her face.

"Yeah, I just can't sleep. I have something on my mind and I can't seem to get it off my mind."

"What is it Miles? You know you can tell me."

I smiled at those words. I had never had anyone reassure me that I could tell them anything, actually I have never had anyone assure me of that. "I don't know Lils. It's just… do you believe that when nothing but bad luck has come to a person their entire life, that one day everything or at least something can turn around for them?"

I watched Lilly as she thought about it. It was a good question that I really needed an answer. I had to know that this wasn't a way for someone to laugh at my naiveté if it didn't work out.

"I think it can Miles. God works miracles in people's lives a lot. Why do you ask?"

I sighed. "Well my stepdad moved out and I was happier. I thought they were going to get divorced but of course bad luck came back and he moved back in. I guess I'm just afraid, Lilly, ever since I met you my life has been really much happier. I haven't even thought about my stepdad moving back in. Then I met Oliver and I could tell that I could easily become good friends with him but now, now I am just worried. I am worried that the other shoe will drop and both of you will leave me one day too." I felt tears coming up in my eyes. I tried to keep them from coming out but a few stray tears did come out. I guess I was lucky that it was dark.

"Oh, I see. Miles, I promise I'm not going anywhere and I'm sure Oliver won't either, he has always been a great friend." I felt Lilly rest her hand on my arm as she said this. I quickly wipe my tears away.

"I know. I guess I'm just being silly but with the past I have had, I still wonder."

"It's not silly if it's how you feel Miley, I understand. I just want you to know that I will always be here for you. I won't ever leave you." I guess she could hear me sniffle because she reached out her arms and pulled me into her embrace as she said, "Come here."

I put my aid my head on her shoulder and softly cried as she ran her hand through my hair. After a couple of minutes I was able to stop crying and let myself go to sleep. I always felt safe and loved when she was with me.

**Lilly's POV**

The next morning I awoke to the sun shining in my eyes. Tennessee was very different compared to Malibu. Instead of hearing waves from the ocean outside, you heard birds chirping. There were a lot if changes but I've started getting used to it. I opened up and glanced down at Miley in my arms, asleep. I ran my hand through her hair as she moved her head until her nose was touching my neck. All I wanted to do was take away all the pain she has ever been through. I also wanted to say a thing or two to her stepdad about his treatment of her.

But that was another story to be saved for later.

I know she's worried about losing me as a friend and I can see why she would think that but it wasn't possible. The reason it wasn't possible, and I hadn't told her this yet, but I needed her as much as she needed me. Growing up I had never really had a friend that was a girl. Sure, Oliver was the best friend ever but still, it was different than having a friend who was a girl. My only wish was that Miley would believe it. I guessed that it would take time to show her that the other shoe won't drop and that Oliver and I will always be here.

But she needed to be shown that we wouldn't leave her. I looked down at her sleeping face and kissed her on the forehead.

That was when I knew, I would be different. I would be the one that showed her that I would never leave her. For the first time, those words actually had meaning.

**Miley's POV**

I woke up to feel something warm on my forehead. I wasn't quite sure what it was at first since I was still half asleep but then I realized it was Lilly giving me a kiss on my forehead. I swear, Lilly was the sweetest. She didn't have to comfort me or help me but she did because that was the kind of person she was.

I couldn't really explain what it was like being around her. I felt safe, comfortable, like as long as I stayed with her, everything would be ok. That was something I had never felt before. I looked up at her to see her thinking about something. "Hey, what are you thinking about?"

"Nothing, I just didn't want to move and wake you up," Lilly said as she smiled at me. I could tell she was lying but I let it go and figured she just didn't want to talk about it. I slowly sat up. I really didn't want o since being in Lilly's arms felt so good.

"Hey Miles?"

"Yeah?" I said as I looked back at her.

"Do you want to get up now or get some more sleep?"

I smiled at her. More sleep did sound good plus I would be in Lilly's arms which sounded even better. "More sleep sounds good I think," I said as I laid back down and put my head back where it was on Lilly's shoulder.

A couple of hours later we finally decided to get up even though I wouldn't mind sleeping forever. Growing up I used to wonder if it was better than being awake. Maybe it was but right now there were two people in my life that I wanted to be awake for. I walked to Lilly's window while she used the bathroom to brush her teeth. It seemed like a nice day out. The leaves were turning colors and it looked like the wind wasn't that bad. Sometimes, here in Tennessee, the wind could get so bad you would think you would blow away.

I remember when I was fourteen and going through all the bullying I did, I would come home and watch movies. I remember watching Forrest Gump and I fell in love with what Jenny said about how she wanted to be a bird. I remember wanting to be a bird to and fly away from those bullies that I dealt with back then. But now, I don't think I would want to be one, out of so much bad, I have found some good. I just hoped it would last.

"Hey Miley, I'm done, you can go get ready now if you want," I heard Lilly say as she came up behind me, breaking me out of my thoughts.

"Ok, I'll get ready in a minute."

I continued to look out the window. Then, I felt a pair of soft hands rest on my shoulders. I reached up with one hand and squeezed her hand to tell her that I was fine.

"Are you sure you're ok Miles?"

"Yeah, I'm fine." I really was. Lilly probably thought I was lying but I was ok. I put my hand near the window and could feel the warmth that was outside coming through the window. I turned around suddenly surprising Lilly slightly as I saw her jump back.

"Hey Lils, how about we go horseback riding today?"

"Are you sure that we couldn't just do this staring out of a window thing today?" Lilly said with a look of nervousness on her face. I could tell she was nervous about riding a horse.

"Come on Lils, it'll be fun."

"Okay," Lilly said hesitantly. I just smiled at her and went to go brush my teeth.

After Lilly, Oliver, and I got ready, we got in Lilly's car to go to my Uncle Earl's farm which is where I keep my horse Blue Jeans.

"Wow Miley, I still can't believe your family owns a farm with animals, "Oliver said in the back seat of the car.

"Oh yeah, when I was younger and would go over there it was always my job to milk the cows, feed the chickens, and I had a pet pig named Luanne."

"Dang, who knew I would come here and become best friends with a country girl," I heard Lilly say next to me as she kept her eyes on the road.

I smiled as I said, "Well you did. Get over it."

"There's nothing to get over Miles," Lilly said as she reached over and tapped me on the hand. The feel of her hand on mine sent something threw me that I couldn't explain but I knew that I liked the feeling.

When we got to my uncle's farm, we walked into the horse's stable. I had to help Lilly up on her horse which I gladly did. Oliver seemed to figure it out on his own. He rambled about how it was like those cowboy movies he had seen, Lilly just gave me a look and rolled her eyes and I couldn't help but laugh. We were riding out of the horse stables and onto the trail when Oliver broke the silence.

"So Miley, Lilly told me you sing and play guitar. Have you ever thought of becoming a singer?"

I nodded and said, "Yeah but to tell you the truth, I wanted to wait until I was an adult to try and see if I could become one. I read that if the singers or actors are minors then their parents had to keep the money until they turned eighteen. I love my mom but I knew she would bend over backwards and give my stepfather anything he asked for. So I knew he would ask for money since he married her for her money and she would give it to him." I would still like to try though."

"Yeah, let's see, you could have a stage name," Oliver said as he laughed.

"Oh? Like what?"

"Hmm, let's see. You have to have a good one and one that rhymes." Then he snapped his fingers and said, "I got it, your stage name could be Hannah Montana."

I laughed as I heard Lilly call him a doughnut. As weird as it sounded, I kind of liked it. "Ok well, if I have Hannah Montana as a stage name then you two need different names since you are my two best friends."

"Lola Luftnagle!" I heard Lilly scream as Oliver and I gave her a weird look. That name definitely was different.

"Where did you get that Lilly?" I asked while trying to hold back a giggle.

"I read a book once with that character's name and I thought it was creative. Oh and you could wear a blonde wig and I could have wigs of all different colors!"

I laughed at that. I wanted to a blonde when I was eleven but not anymore. Different color wigs though? Well I guess it's healthier than dying your hair. "What about you Oliver?"  
Oliver looked thoughtfully and said, "Hmm, how about Mike...Stand...ley. Mike Stanley... The third."

"And hopefully the last," Lilly said sarcastically.

"And I could wear these clothes that make me look like a rapper, oh and I could wear a goatee," Oliver said, ignoring Lilly's comment.

"Made out of what, your armpit hair?" Lilly asked then looked at me and said, "He did that once for Halloween back in ninth grade."

"Hey, you said no one could tell."

"Oh, believe me, everyone could tell," Lilly said with humor in her voice.

I was laughing at the bickering back and forth between the two of them. Yeap, this life was definitely something I could get used to.

**Oliver's POV**

We were riding our horses through the trails just talking and laughing most of the time. After a while, and all day pretty much, I noticed something going on between Miley and Lilly. I didn't know what it was.

After a couple of minutes I tugged gently on the reign to get the horse to slow down so I could walk more behind them. I could tell they were in their own little world. Miley was a nice girl and I could tell that we would be great friends. Lilly, well, she looked different. I watched very carefully as Miley said something to Lilly that made her laugh. The look I saw on Lilly's face was different with Miley than with any one else she had hung out around or dated. She looked happier than usual and that as long as Miley was there, she would be ok.

I gently tugged on the reins of the horse again to stand near a tree on the top of the hill so that I could still hear and see Miley and Lilly. They went ahead and went to the very top of the hill and just stopped and talked. I saw a look on Lilly's face when she looked at Miley but I couldn't quite describe it. It was more of a look you gave a person you are falling in love with.

"How are you doing Miles? I know last night you were having a hard time," I heard Lilly say to Miley. I knew that Miley had issues with making friends in the past but Lilly never really went into it.

"I'm doing ok. It's just hard to believe you know? It's hard to believe that there is someone out there who wants to be friends with me and get to know the real me."

"Of course. I don't see why anyone wouldn't want to." I saw Miley look up at Lilly and smiled while Lilly smiled back. There was something in both of their smiles and both of their eyes. I didn't know what it was but somehow I knew that I would find out.


	4. Chapter 4

I stood outside the door to my house with Lilly and Oliver standing behind me. I ran my hand over the smooth doorknob. My mom called and wanted me, Lilly, and Oliver to come over for dinner. She wanted to meet my new friends that I seemed so happy with. I was nervous though. My stepfather was going to be at dinner and like I said, he was known for being rude to all of my friends.

I felt someone take my hand and gently squeeze it. I looked over to see a smiling Lilly looking at me. I had told her and Oliver about my stepfather and while they said that no matter what he said, they would still be my friends but I have had other friends say that to and they were no longer my friends.

"It'll be ok Miles, we will be right here next to you," Lilly said as she rubbed my arm with her other hand.

"Yeah, I dare your stepfather to be mean to you. I can take him I bet," Oliver said with a smile on his face.

"Oh please Oliver. I'm not the one who got scared of a Chihuahua that time when we were skateboarding," Lilly said.

"Hey, that dog was scary."

I burst out laughing. I never had friends who could make me laugh before but I got to tell you, those two could make me laugh through the toughest times. "Ok, come on you two," I said as I opened the door. "Mom, we're here." I called out as I shut the door behind us.

My mom walked into the entrance way drying off her hands with a dish towel. She looked like she was doing well but lord only knows what my stepdad has said to her. He has never been nice to her.

"Mom, these are my two friends, Lilly and Oliver," I said with a smile on my face. I loved my mom, I really did and I was happy that she was meeting the two people that had become very important in my life in such a short time.

"Hi, Lilly, Oliver. It's so nice to finally meet you two," My mom said as she shook their hands with a smile on her face. "Well come on in and make yourselves at home. Dinner will be ready in a little while."

"Thanks Mrs..." Lilly said then she trailed off. She leaned over and said to me, "Miles, you never told me your mom's last name now." I remembered that I completely forgot to mention that detail. I was just so used to referring to her as Susan Stewart since I would never accept her being married to my stepdad. I was about to respond when my mom noticed the confusion on Lilly's face and said, "Oh, you two can call me Susan."

Lilly smiled and said, "Ok Susan."

"Hey mom, I'm going to show Lilly and Oliver the house. We're probably going to hang out in my room or the bonus room," I said with a smile. Well, at least show Oliver the house. Lilly has already been over here a few times.

"Ok baby girl. I'll call you down when dinner is ready." She smiled at us before walking into the kitchen. I started to go up the stairs as I motioned for Lilly and Oliver to come with me. I showed Oliver where the bathrooms were and then we went into the bonus room since it was practically where I spent my alone time. It had a desk for me to write or do homework and a bookshelf where I kept all of my books. I hadn't really had a lot of time to just sit and write since I met Lilly. I've just been so busy with her and now Oliver and you know what? It felt good. It felt good to just hang out with someone besides a paper and pen. Lilly was the first to speak up and break me out of my train of thought.

"Well Miles, we didn't see your stepdad," Lilly said with a comforting smile. I smiled back, I really didn't want them to meet him but I knew they would tonight. Eventually. That was what I was afraid of.

"Yeah, he's probably watching television. When he does, he's in his own little world. No one can disturb him. I would say he was taking a nap but since I didn't hear the classical music that he plays while napping I would cancel that out." It was true. My stepfather always fell asleep listening to classical music. It drove my mom and I nuts since it was always on the couch in the living room where he took his naps.

"Ugh, I hate classical music," Lilly said while her face crinkled up and she stuck her tongue out.

"So do I, it makes me sleepy," Oliver said as we laughed at him.

After a few minutes of talking I realized that I was thirsty and had forgotten to ask Lilly and Oliver if they wanted anything to drink which was so un-southern of me.

"Hey guys, do you want anything to drink? We have water, soda, and juice?"

"Water will be fine for me, thanks," Oliver said as he glanced up from the movies I had. You could tell he wasn't really interested in them since most of them were romance movies.

"Ok, Lilly, would you like something?"

"I'll have a soda. Here, I'll come with you and help you carry the drinks up" Lilly said as she smiled and stood up.

"You really don't have to do that Lils," I said standing next to her.

"I want to, besides, how are you going to carry up three drinks?"

She had a point and I knew she did so I decided that instead of arguing with her, I would just let her help me. My mother always told me that a guest should never help the hostess unless they genuinely wanted to and it seemed like Lilly did.

We walked down stairs and went into the kitchen. I saw dinner on the stove but I didn't see my mom. I figured she must have been in the bathroom or something. I opened the refrigerator and didn't see any soda. Great. This meant that I would have to go into the laundry room and get some.

"Hey Lils, I think we're out of soda in the refrigerator so I'm going to go into the laundry room and get some, I'll be right back."

"Ok Miles, I'll get the glasses and put some ice in them."

"Thanks Lils," I said as I walked out of the kitchen.

Lilly's POV

When Miley left, I got some glasses out of the cupboard. Luckily I had been to her house before and knew where everything was so I could easily find my way around. I went over to the refrigerator and put some ice into the glasses. I was finishing putting ice in the third glass when I heard someone clear their throat behind me. Thinking it was Miley I said, "Miles, I put ice in some-" I stopped mid- sentence when I turned around and realized Miley was not the owner of the person who cleared their throat.

A tall man stood behind me. Hey had grey hair which was almost gone. His face sagged and his nose looked like a ball on his face. He looked like he was in his sixties and had a beer belly that was obvious by the tight shirt he was wearing. The expression on his face was a mixture of confusion and hatred. He just didn't look friendly. His blank green eyes stared into my blue ones. They were nice green eyes, they just didn't look like there was any substance behind them. I didn't know who it was at first but I eventually figured it out after a couple of seconds. It had to have been Miley's stepfather. He didn't say anything to me so I decided to speak up.

"Hi, I'm Miley's friend Lilly, you must be her stepfather," I said as I smiled and reached my hand out. I really didn't want to be friendly with this man. Not after how he treated Miley which led to her crying in my arms after the lunch she had with him but I had to make a good first impression.

He just stared at my hand and made not motion to take it so I put it back to my side. He then spoke up and said, "So you're Mileys friend?" His voice was so cold and uncaring, the coldness and harshness in his voice was so sharp it would make the toughest person cower in fright.

"Yeah, I am. Who are you?" I already knew he was her stepdad but if he was going to act like he didn't hear me just say I was Miley's friend then I would act completely oblivious to who he was.

"I'm Miley's stepfather," he replied flatly. "She doesn't bring many friends around. Probably because she doesn't have any."

I didn't like where this was going. Miley warned me about this, that he would try to convince me not to be friends with her. I wasn't like most of her other friends though. Nothing this man said would stop me from being her friend.

"That's not true. She has me and Oliver." I said as I smiled. He didn't look too happy that I talked back to him. I guess he never saw someone stand by Miley no matter what. It's sad.

"You seem smart, I don't know why you would want to be her friend. She's really not worth it," He laughed then said, "She's not worth anything actually."

That crossed a line. I glared at him and squeezed the forgotten glass in my hand. I could have sworn it would have broken with how hard I was squeezing it but it didn't. How could he talk about Miley that way? I couldn't keep my mouth shut, maybe her other friends could have but not me. He thought he could chase all of her friends away but obviously he had never met me. "Why don't you just give her a chance? She's the nicest most caring person I have ever met."

"You'll leave her when you find better. Luckily, they all do," he said. I swear if he didn't shut up, I would have punched him.

"I won't find better because I have found more true friendship in the last few weeks that I have known her than in my last twenty years of living. I don't understand why you hate her so much. Maybe because you will never be half the person she is."

His eyes got wide. I could tell I had just touched on something. I then pointed this out to him. "I see now, you're jealous of her! She's got the ability to have true friends, she has a family who loves her. She's beautiful on the inside and out and it makes you jealous that you will never have any of that so you want to bring her down."

The expression on his face went blank but I kept going. Hey, I was on a roll. "Well, never again will she be truly alone. Oliver is moving here and we will show her what true friends are. She will never be alone again and nothing you say can convince us to leave her. So, you better get over this attitude towards her and stop treating her badly. Maybe you'll be happier in the long in but you know what, she is better off without you in her life. No one will bring her down again. Oliver and I will let her shine brightly while you live in the dark hole of jealousy. You need to do something with that jealousy because it will eat you up to the point where you have nothing."

I didn't even wait for him to respond. He was in too much shock. I got the three glasses and headed toward the washroom.

Miley's POV

Lilly didn't know it but I had been standing there the whole time. I was on my way back from the washroom when I heard the beginning of the conversation. I hid behind the small wall between the washroom and the kitchen so I could listen and not be seen. By the time the conversation was over, I was shocked. I couldn't believe my ears. Did she really mean all that? I had never had someone stand up for me to him before. My other friends were always too intimidated to stand up to him. That's why they would stop being my friend is so they wouldn't have to run into him again. When Lilly came towards the stairs, she saw me.

"How long have you been standing there?" She asked as she set the glasses down on the small counter behind her.

"I was on my way back when he started talking to you. Did you really mean all that?" I asked as I set the sodas down next to me. I almost thought it was a dream and too good to be true.

"Of course I did. You know I never say stuff I don't mean."

I smiled slightly and took her hands in mine. "It's just that lately, I have been thinking that this friendship was too good to be true. I didn't want to lose it-" I was about to say more but Lilly cut me off.

"Hey, you couldn't lose me even if you wanted to," she said as she pulled me into a hug.

"Good, because I don't want to," I said as I smiled into her shoulder. For the first time, I had felt one hundred percent that this friendship would last no matter what.

Oliver's POV

I walked down stairs to see what was keeping Miley and Lilly. They had been down there for a while and I was starting to get worried especially with the stories I had heard about Miley's stepfather. I made it halfway down the stairs when I stopped. I saw Miley and Lilly hugging and I wondered what had just happened. I knew it was something but I didn't know what.

Lilly was slowly rubbing Miley's back and Miley's face was buried into Lilly's neck so I knew something had just happened. I looked around the stairs and saw who looked to be Miley's stepfather. He was slamming things and acting genuinely ticked off. I wondered if something had happened having to do with him.

I looked back to Miley and Lilly as they broke the hug. Miley had tears slowly going down her cheeks and Lilly reached up with her hand to wipe them away. She then got the glasses while Miley got the soda and I knew I better go back to the bonus room so that they wouldn't see me. I quickly went back to the bonus room and was acting casual by the time they came back in but I knew, something was going to happen between them. I just didn't know if it was going to shatter and break like the glass Lilly was holding or if it was going to stay together like the plastic soda bottle Miley was holding.

Miley's POV

When Lilly and I broke the hug, we didn't say anything. We just smiled at each other and grabbed the glasses and the soda and went upstairs. It felt nice to be held and knowing that the person would never leave me. I never really had that.

After a while my mom called us down for dinner. She had the food spread out on the dining room table and was about to sit down when my stepdad decided to make a big stink.

"I thought we were going to eat in the den in front of the television," my stepdad whined.

"Ray, sit down, I want to have a nice dinner with Miley's new friends without the interruption of the television," my mom yelled. She looked so embarrassed by his attitude but what she didn't know was that I had already told Lilly and Oliver about his attitude so they were kind of expecting it.

"Well fine, I'll just take my plate and go eat by myself," my stepdad said as he picked up his plate. By this time, Lilly, Oliver, and I had already sat down.

I glanced up at my mom and stepdad. I don't know what possessed me to say something but say something I did. "Look, you can go eat in front of the television but you will not stop us from having a nice dinner."

"Miley, don't talk to him like that," my mom said.

"Why not, he has already treated me bad enough. If he wants to eat by himself than let him but I will enjoy my dinner with or without him." Maybe I shouldn't have interfered but I was sick of him being such a baby about things and wanting everything his way.

My stepdad put down his plate and went into the kitchen and poured him a bowl of cereal and went into the den. I knew he would just go back to his old behavior but my mom didn't. I guess she would have to figure that out on his own. She sat down and said, "Sorry about that, I really don't know why he acted like that. Go ahead and dig in."

We went ahead and put food on our plates. We had a very nice dinner together. I really did love my mom, she was wonderful and a great mother. I just don't think she has made some of the right decisions when it comes to choosing another man. She talks to my dad still but mainly about paying for college but those two seem to be pretty close. I personally think they still have feelings for each other but I don't think they'll ever admit it.

When the night was over Lilly, Oliver, and I went back over to Lilly's house. We got changed into our pajamas and sat in her room.

"Well, that dinner could have been worse," Oliver said, "Maybe it was better your stepfather didn't sit with us."

I nodded and said, "I completely agree with that. It was much better, I am really sorry with the way he acted. I could tell mom was really embarrassed."

"Oh its fine Miles, we know if your mom had it her way then he would have acted better, I think he's just mad that he didn't get his way," Lilly said as she patted my hand.

I smiled and said, "Thanks Lils."

After a while of staying up and talking, we all went to bed. I slept in Lilly's bed with her again. For a while I just laid there thinking. What Lilly had done for me earlier was so amazing. I have never had anyone stand up to my stepdad before. I looked over at her sleeping face. I rolled over onto my side and whispered, "Lilly."

She didn't budge so I gently shook her shoulder and said, "Lilly."

This woke her up. She rolled over onto her back and looked up at me and smiled. "Miley, is everything ok?"

"Yeah, listen, I wanted to thank you for what you said to my stepfather today," I said as I smiled down at her.

"Anytime Miles, I meant every word and would do it again in a heartbeat," Lilly said as she pulled me down into a hug.

"You're the best friend anyone could ask for Lils,"

"So are you Miles, so are you. I love you."

"I love you too Lilly," I said as we went back to sleep. I really did see Lilly as my best friend and I did love her but it was different than when I had loved any other friend. It felt different and it really confused me. Did I love her as just a friend or was I in love with her?


	5. Chapter 5

I woke up the next Saturday morning and rubbed my eyes when I felt the sun shining through the window and onto my face. I looked over and saw Lilly sound asleep. I smiled as I remembered last night, she really was a great friend. I grabbed my phone that was on the bedside table next to me and started looking through my emails. I got one email saying that the local coffee house in town was having an open mic night.

There is a little coffee shop in Crowley Corners where people can go and listen to music. A lot of the times, it is just normal people from around town who write, play, or sing music. It is just a fun place to hang out pretty much. I used to go there and sing all the time when I was younger. After my grandmother died, I just kind of wanted to stop singing in public. I don't know why but ever since I've stopped, it feels like there is something missing. It's like I'm supposed to be doing something else with my life.

I was scrolling through the email on my phone when I felt someone shift in the bed next to me. I looked over to see Lilly's blue eyes staring back at me.

"Good morning Lils," I said as a smile spread on my face. I tended to do that a lot around her.

"Good morning Miles. Checking your email?"

"Yeah, how did you know?"

"I just know you. Just like I know you will get up, put your house slippers on and walk straight to the bathroom and brush your teeth afterwards. Then, you will text or call your mom to let her know you are ok."

I smiled as I sat up, "You know, it's really creepy how you do that."

"What can I say? After our countless sleepovers these last few weeks, I seem to know how you will act." Lilly said with a smile as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. I smiled and shook my head as I put my house slippers on.

"Hey do you and Oliver want to go out tonight? I got an email about this restaurant that I had forgotten all about." I don't know why I wanted to go, I just did. Maybe I would even sing a song.

"Sure Miles," Lilly said as she walked past me to the other sink. "Where are we going?"

"Well, there is a coffee shop downtown. They have open mic nights and a lot of singers and songwriters go down there and sing. Tonight they are having an open mic night. I thought it looked like fun," I said as I grabbed my hairbrush and started running it through my hair.

Lilly finished brushing her teeth then looked at me with a huge smile on her face and said, "That sounds so cool Miles. Hey, maybe you can sing a song you've written."

"I don't know Lils. It has been years since I have done that. I really haven't done it since my grandmother passed." I said as I put the hairbrush back on the counter.

"Well, you can start again if you want. Miley, I've heard you sing and you're wonderful. Why haven't you done it for so long?"

I looked up at her and smiled sadly, "No one cared enough to come see me and support me."

Lilly walked over to me and took my hand. "Oliver and I are here now and we support you. Miles, I'm not going to make you do anything you don't want to do. I just know how much you love singing. She then wrapped her arms around me.

I held her tightly in a hug. "Alright but if I do, there is a song I have been writing that I want to sing."

"Oh really?" Lilly said as she pulled away slightly. "What is it?"

"Now that will just have to be a secret," I said with a smile. The truth was, the song was about her. She had been such an incredible friend and it really inspired me to write a song. No friend that I ever had has done that for me.

Of course, no other friend has made me feel the way Lilly does.

I can't explain it really. I just love being around her and I hate when we're apart.

"That's no fair," Lilly grumbled.

I laughed and said, "All's fair in love and war." I felt Lilly smile into my shoulder. I started getting these weird feelings in the bottom of my stomach. They almost felt like butterflies fluttering around. I could feel my heart beating faster in my chest. It was strange, I didn't understand it.

Finally, we pulled away after a couple of minutes. I pushed her hair behind her ears and said, "Come on, let's get ready."

After we got ready, we told Oliver about our plan to go out tonight. He seemed pretty excited but he, like Lilly, also wanted me to sing. So, I decided I would but we would have to run by my house and get my guitar. I really did hope my stepfather wasn't going to be there but he probably was.

Lilly, Oliver, and I walked into my house. My stepdad was sitting in front of the television and didn't even acknowledge us coming in. I just shrugged my shoulders and walked into the kitchen where my mother was. Sometimes the best thing to do was just ignore the man.

"Hi mama," I said as I grabbed some sodas for Lilly and Oliver.

"Hey baby girl," my mother said then turned to Lilly and Oliver and say, "Hi Lilly, Hi Oliver, listen, I'm so sorry about what happened last night."

"It's fine, honestly, Miley already warned us," Oliver said then, he screamed, "Oww, what was that for." My head snapped around to see Lilly had just stomped her foot on Oliver's."

"We don't need to tell Susan that Miley talks about how her stepdad is," Lilly said as she kept her foot pressing down on Oliver's. I shook my head as I shut the refrigerator door. I really didn't care, my mom probably already knew I had warned them.

"Oh, it's fine," my mom said with a laugh, "Miley has already told me exactly what she thinks of him and I know she will tell anyone who will listen."

I smiled. Do I know my mom or what? YES!

"Hey mom," I said changing the subject, "Lilly Oliver, and I are going down to that restaurant tonight where you can get up and sing. Lilly has talked me into singing one of the new songs I've written."

My mom looked shocked at first, of course, I haven't done it in years so I can see why. "That's wonderful baby girl."

"Well, I'm going to get my guitar. You two can come up with me if you want," I said as I turned and headed for the stairs.

Lilly's POV

Oliver followed Miley and I was about to follow them when I felt a gentle hand on my shoulder. "Lilly, can I talk to you for a minute?" I heard Susan say behind me. I turned around to see the smiling face who looked just like Miley would if she were older.

"I just wanted to tell you, I don't know what you have done Lilly but you have made quite an impression on my daughter. She has been a completely different person," Susan said. I smiled. I definitely wasn't expecting that but it was nice to hear. For some reason I felt that I could really talk to her.

"I'm just glad I could help her. She's really special, I've never had a friend like her," I said in all honesty.

Susan grabbed a plate and continued drying the dishes. "Singing?" She said, "She hasn't done that since her grandmother passed. She gave it up all together. That was always her dream, singing. The look on her face whenever she would sing made her so happy." She put down the plate and turned back to me, "Thank you Lilly, for bringing the Miley we all once knew back."

I could feel tears brimming my eyes but I held them back. "You're welcome. I just know how hard it has been on her, especially with her stepdad." I don't know why I said that but I guess it was a conversation that was coming.

Susan just shook her head, "I don't know what is wrong with him. He's going back to his old ways. It seems like he just lied so he could move back in."

I really felt bad for Miley having to deal with him but now, it was different. I also felt bad for Susan. She was a sweet woman and she had to deal with an abusive jerk like that. It isn't right! None of this is!

"Why do you deal with that treatment? You don't deserve it." I said. I really didn't understand it.

"Oh Lilly, you and Miley will both understand when you get older. I'm in my fifties. I could never enter the dating world again, no man would be interested in me." I just looked at her. I talked to her for a few minutes more then I went upstairs to find Miley and Oliver.

Fear. Fear is a terrible thing. Fear that you'll never find love again. Fear that you'll never be worth the world to someone else. That's what Miley's mother was afraid of. Miley was afraid of failing without her grandmother's support, afraid to stand up for herself and let the world beat her down. I sat on Miley's bed wondering if I could do anything when I heard a voice break me out of my train of thought.

"Lilly?" Miley asked looking at me concerned. I looked up at her and smiled. Seeing that I was alright she smiled back.

"Did you come back from your home planet?" Miley said with a laugh. I grabbed one of the pillows on the bed and threw it at her but she ducked it. I started laughing along with her.

"Seriously Lil, it was like you were worlds away," Oliver said when the laughing died down.

"I was just thinking," I said as looked down at my hands that were in my lap. I suddenly felt a shift on the bed next to me. I turned to see the smiling face of Miley.

"What were you thinking about?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow.

I looked into her bright blue eyes. Should I tell her exactly what I was thinking? I finally decided just to tell half of the truth. "I'm just proud that you're going to sing tonight. Your mom told me you haven't done that in a long time and she missed the joy you would get in your eyes."

Miley smiled sadly and said, "Yeah, well, got to start sometime I guess." She then stood up and grabbed her guitar case. "Alright let's go, we should probably get there soon.

That girl was so hard to figure out sometimes.

Miley's POV

I think for the first time in my life, I was actually nervous when it came to singing. I never minded it but for some reason now I did. A part of me wanted to crawl into a tiny hole. I was picking at the sleeve of my shirt when I heard someone scoot their chair next to mine. I felt a pair of warm arms wrap around me and put my head on their shoulder. "It's ok Miles, Oliver and I are both here for you.

I smiled as I snuggled more into Lilly. Why did I always feel so safe in her arms? "I know Lils and I appreciate it."

I could feel Lilly smile and I saw her grab a glass of water that had a straw. "Here you need to make sure you get plenty of water." Lilly said as she put the straw up to my mouth. I took a long drink that honestly felt like heaven going down my throat. When I'm nervous it dries out easily. I found myself saying a quick prayer, thanking the Lord for the day He made water. After a few minutes Lilly set the glass back on the table and continued to hold me. I shut my eyes as I felt the warmth of her embrace and tried to breathe it in. Then I heard a voice from in front of me.

"Miley?"

My eyes quickly snapped open as I realized the voice. I quickly found myself staring at a blonde haired man with blue eyes. "Travis?" My head quickly raised up from Lilly's shoulder, almost hitting Lilly on the cheek. He smiled at me. I remember that smile. That was the smile I fell in love with. That million dollar smile. 'No Miley, remember, he hurt you.' I heard myself say. Instead I turned to Lilly and saw another blonde hair, blue eyed person who had come to mean the world to me over a short period of time. I smiled at her then looked back at Travis.

"Travis, these are my two best friends, "Lilly and Oliver. Guys, this is Travis I was telling you about."

Travis shook both of their hands and said, "It's nice to meet you two. So Miley, what are you doing here? Planning on singing?" He said with a smug smile on his face. Now that was the face of the cocky football player he turned into. The one that I was hurt by.

"Actually, yes, I am. Lilly here talked me into it," I said patting her leg with my hand.

"Well, that's good, you always loved singing. In fact, I thought you would have done something about it by now."

"Yeah, well, life happens Travis, you can't always do what you want." I said. Is it possible to love and hate someone at the same time? I did care for Travis, heck I was in love with him for most of my life but he changed. He became cocky, he became someone I hated. Gee, all I wanted was to stay in Lilly's embrace until I went on stage. At least there I knew I wouldn't be hurt. At least there I knew someone loved me as much as I loved them.

"Yeah, um maybe I'll see you around later?" Travis said.

I put on a fake smile. He better not count on it. "Yeah, maybe," I said.

Travis smiled then turned around and left. I slowly shook my head and put my head back on Lilly's shoulder. "If he asks me to dance, I ain't doing it," I mumbled under my breath. "He hurt me when I needed him most. I'm afraid I might fall for him again if I dance with him.

I heard Lilly chuckle, "Well, no one is going to force you Miles," she whispered.

"Yeah, don't worry, we'll make sure he doesn't get the chance," Oliver said putting his hand on my back.

I smiled. So, this is what it was like to have real friends. "Thanks guys, I appreciate it."

Lilly squeezed me tighter in a hug as all of the nervousness of getting on stage slowly disappeared.

About an hour later found us sitting at a table in the front row, Lilly and Oliver had coffee and I stuck with water. I don't know why but I can't sing well after I've drank coffee. Never did. Was I nervous? No, not as much. I was earlier but I felt like this is what I had to do. It felt right, it felt about as right as my friendship with Lilly and Oliver did.

I hadn't seen Travis at all which was good. Maybe I wouldn't see him. I just worry too much about the what if's. I always knew that I needed to stop that. I started picking at my fingernails which was just an old nervous habit.

I wasn't nervous about the getting up and singing as much as I was about what other people thought of me. What if they didn't like me? What if they decided to throw tomatoes at me because I was so bad? Well maybe not tomatoes. Although they used to do that to prisoners that were sent to the stocks. You know, those wood things that prisoners stuck their heads and hands in. See, I paid attention in history.

I was broken out of my train of thoughts as I heard a chair scoot out across from the other side of the table. I looked up to see Travis sat down at our table. Great.

"Mind if I sit here?" Travis asked.

"Might as well, you're already sitting," I said coldly. Yes I know that was mean but I really didn't care at the time.

Travis just smiled that cocky half smile of his. "Listen, Miley, I know I hurt you."

"Yes, I do recall that. You left me when I needed someone the most."

"I guess I deserved that'" Travis said, "but I would like to start fresh. Maybe we could go out to dinner Friday."

I slowly shook my head. He didn't get it. I was in love with him at one time. We were best friends since kindergarten but then he decided the popular group was more important I never wanted to relive that pain again.

Lilly's POV

When I heard Travis ask Miley out a strange feeling came over me. It felt like jealousy. I wanted to go over there and punch that cocky smile off his face. I looked over at Miley and she looked so uncomfortable. 'No tonight is her night, he is not going to ruin it,' I thought.

I tried my best to not say anything but now I had to say something. "Travis, not to sound rude but Miley is really nervous already. I don't think this is really the right time."

I looked over at Miley and she smiled at me. I loved that smile of hers. The she looked back at Travis and said, "Travis you really hurt me. I don't know if we could ever date again but we could be friends." Now that's the Miley I know.

"Oh yeah sure, that would be nice." Travis said unconvinced, "well, I guess I'll see you guys later," he said as he got up and left. She watched him walk up and leave then turned to me and grabbed my hand and gently squeezed it. "Thanks Lils," she said with a smile on her face.

I smiled back at her and said, "Anytime Miles."

I continued to look into her blue eyes. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful they were. I always noticed that but tonight they seemed to stand out. We continued to stare into each other's eyes for a few seconds. I felt myself moving in closer towards her and I noticed she was also moving closer. It was like an unexplainable force was pulling us together. Our lips were about to touch when someone broke us out of our reverie. I turned around to see a man with a cowboy hat on and boots. He was standing on the stage in front of the microphone.

"Alright, next on the list to perform is Miley Stewart."

I turned back around to face Miley who looked very nervous. "Well, it's time for you to go up there. You'll be great Miles," I said with a smile as I squeezed her hand. I didn't understand what almost happened between us and I wasn't too sure that I was happy we were interrupted.

"Yeah, youf goo gweat."

We turned around to see Oliver had stuffed a whole doughnut in his mouth but I saw Miley smile at his attempt to wish her luck.

"Thanks guys, this song is for you," Miley said as she smiled at us and turned around to walk up on stage.

I watched her as she walked up on stage. On the outside she looked very confident. She had a smile on her face, her shoulders were back but I knew that on the inside she was nervous. I was nervous for her but I knew she would be great.

She turned towards the microphone. I couldn't help but notice how beautiful she looked as the light hit her skin. She took a deep breath and said, "Hey everyone. I wrote a song for my two best friends. They have been there for me no matter what and I am so grateful for them. I hope ya'll enjoy." She looked at me and smiled before she played the first couple of chords and started singing.

We sign our cards and letters BFF

You've got a million ways to make me laugh

You're lookin' out for me; you've got my back

It's so good to have you around

You know the secrets I could never tell

And when I'm quiet you break through my shell

Don't feel the need to do a rebel yell

Cause you keep my feet on the ground

You're a true friend

You're here till the end

You pull me aside

When something ain't right

Talk with me now and into the night

'Til it's alright again

You're a true friend

You don't get angry when I change the plans

Somehow you're never out of second chances

Won't say "I told you" when I'm wrong again

I'm so lucky that I've found

A true friend

You're here till the end

You pull me aside

When something ain't right

Talk with me now and into the night

'Til it's alright again

True friends will go to the end of the earth

Till they find the things you need

Friends hang on through the ups and the downs

Cause they've got someone to believe in

A true friend

You're here till the end

You pull me aside

When something ain't right

Talk with me now and into the night

No need to pretend

You're a true friend

You're here till the end

Pull me aside

When something ain't right

Talk with me now and into the night

'Til it's alright again

You're a true friend

By the end of the song there were tears strolling down my cheeks. The song was so sweet and I was so proud of her I just wanted to hug her and never stop.

"That was Miley Stewart everyone! Let's give her a round of applause!" I heard the cow boy hatted man say. Miley smiled and said a quick thanks before she stepped off the stage. She walked up to me and I pulled her into a big hug.

"Miles that was wonderful," I said as Miley hugged me back. Soon I felt another pair of arms around us and saw Oliver.

"Yeah Miles, you were great." After a few more seconds we all sat back down at our table. Miley took big gulps of her water. I couldn't believe she wrote a song for me well for me and Oliver, I know it wasn't just for me. Soon a blonde woman walked onto the stage and said in a country accent, "If ya'll don't mind, I would like to slow it down a bit."

The blonde woman played the first few chords and I could tell it was going to be a slow song. I looked up to see Travis walking towards us. I knew he was going to ask Miley to dance with him. I also knew Miley didn't want to dance with him but she was too nice to say no. I looked over at Oliver but he was flirting with another woman and was totally oblivious to the situation. Without even thinking about it, I quickly grabbed Miley's hand.

"Come on Miles, lets' dance." She looked confused for a minute but then looked where I was looking before and saw Travis. She quickly stood up and followed me to the dance floor, leaving a stunned looking Travis standing there alone. I kind of wanted to laugh a little bit but I didn't.

When we got to the dance floor I took Miley's hands and we started slow dancing. It was kind of weird, the feeling I got. The blonde woman started singing and she really had a beautiful voice. 'But not as beautiful as Miley's, I thought. We shuffled our feet back and forth and quickly got into the beat. Looking back on that night, I couldn't describe what I felt. It was something I had never felt before. It was both scary and exciting.

Third Person's POV

Lilly put her hands on Miley's side and Miley put her hands on Lilly's shoulders. Their feet shuffled back and forth as they quickly fell into the beat of the song. When Miley and Lilly would look back on this day, they would remember the quickening of their hearts and how everyone around them slowly faded out until it was just the two of them, staring into each other's eyes.

I'd never gone with the wind

Just let it flow

Let it take me where it wants to go

'Til you open the door

There's so much more

I'd never seen it before

I was trying to fly

But I couldn't find wings

But you came along and you changed everything

All her life, Miley was always the type to live her life day by day. She never liked to rush into anything or care about someone too soon. She always put her walls up and never let them down for anyone. Until she met Lilly. When she met Lilly, her life changed. She realized she had just been existing through life, never really enjoying life. When she met Lilly, she could describe her life as perfect. No matter what else was going on, all she cared about was Lilly and lately her feelings had gotten more and more confusing. Lilly was also feeling those confusing feelings. It wasn't something either of them could explain.

You lift my feet off the ground

You spin me around

You make me crazier, crazier

Feels like I'm falling and I am lost in your eyes

You make me crazier, crazier, crazier

They continued to slow dance but it was slowly becoming more intimate. Their movements became slower and their touches became gentler. Blue eyes stared into brown and at that moment, nothing else existed. Lilly couldn't believe it. No one had ever affected her the way Miley did. She slowly found herself falling for the country girl but she couldn't admit it to herself. Not until this dance. It was so natural, as if they had done this a million times before. It was as if some force had destined them to be together millions of lifetimes ago.

I've watched from a distance as you made life your own

Every sky was your own kind of blue

And I wanted to know how that would feel

And you made it so real

You showed me something that I couldn't see

You opened my eyes

And you made me believe

Before Lilly, Miley never believed she could have feelings for a girl. Sure she had thought about it but never took it seriously. She had trouble believing in true love, she desperately wanted to know how it felt. Staring into Lilly's blue eyes, she could finally truly see. This is what love was. She had always believed that a girl grows up and finds her Prince Charming. At this moment she was thinking, what about a princess?

You lift my feet off the ground

You spin me around

You make me crazier, crazier

Feels like I'm falling and I am lost in your eyes

You make me crazier, crazier, crazier

Baby you showed me what living is for

I don't wanna hide anymore

Oh oh

Miley and Lilly slowly moved closer, smiling at each other. They couldn't explain what was pulling them so close together. It felt like an invisible force moving their faces closer towards each other. The closer they got to each other, they felt sudden bolts of electricity coursing through their bodies.

You lift my feet off the ground

You spin me around

You make me crazier, crazier

Feels like I'm fallin' and I am lost in your eyes

You make me crazier, crazier, crazier

Crazier, crazier.

Their lips gently brushed each other and were about to kiss when they heard someone clear their throat behind them, quickly breaking out of their reverie.

Miley's POV

Lilly and I quickly broke apart and turned to see an older man, probably in his fifties with dark brown hair wearing a suit, standing in front of us.

"Excuse me miss, I hope I wasn't interrupting," the man said as he glanced at my left hand, which was still holding onto Lilly's hand.

"Oh, you weren't interrupting anything, can we help you?" I said as a blush rose to my cheeks. I had no idea what just happened. It was as if I was lost in Lilly's eyes and the only people that existed were the two of us. My feelings for Lilly were very strong but I couldn't explain it. Was it best friend feelings or falling in love feelings?

"Yes, my name is Mr. Harrison and I'm the owner of Harrison's Music Company. I heard you sing that song you wrote and you have great talent," he said while pushing up his glasses.

"Thank you," I said as Lilly gently squeezed my hand. I felt butterflies in my stomach just at the reminder that she was right next to me. I was snapped out of my thoughts when I saw Mr. Harrison handing me a card.

"Here's my card, I would love for you to contact me and maybe we could get you a career in music. A great talent like yours shouldn't be ignored. Take some time to think it give me a call," Mr. Harrison said with a smile on his face.

I reached out and took the card. I couldn't believe this was happening, this had been my dream for years and there was a chance that it was actually happening. "Thank you very much Mr. Harrison, I will definitely think about it."

"Wonderful, well, ya'll have a good night. I look forward to hearing from you Miss Stewart."

I smiled at the man as he walked away. I was shocked and couldn't believe this was happening.

"Lils, did I dream that or am I awake and that really just happened? I asked, staring at the card in my hand, It was almost too hard to believe this is real.

"No Miles, this is real, you are not asleep," She said as she gently squeezed my hand. "So are you going to call him?" She said with a voice full excitement.

"I don't know, I need to think about it." I know, singing has always been my dream but I had so much going on in my life. I was going to college, dealing with stuff at home. Plus there were those nagging fears in the back of my head. Would I be good enough? I mean, there is only a one in a million chance I could become a singer. Sure, my dad was a rock star and Aunt Dolly was a country star but could I pull this off. Yeap, definitely something I needed to think about. I stuck the card in my pocket and looked up to see Oliver walking over.

"Hey guys, who was that man?" Oliver asked pointing in the direction Mr. Harrison just went. I was about to answer when Lilly chimed in.

"Oliver, he's a music producer, he wants Miley to call him to make a record deal." Seriously, she seemed more eager about this then I did.

"Miley that's great, did you say yes?" Oliver asked with a similar excitement in his eyes that Lilly had.

"I have to think about it before I make a decision." We walked back to our table and sat down so we could get out of the other people's way who wanted to dance. "I mean, if this did work out, it could have an effect on the rest of my life. My life could be changed."

"Yeah, I completely understand that," Oliver said. He was about to say something else when we heard a loud slurping sound. We looked over to see Lilly drinking the last of her soda, it was like she was trying to get every last drop.

"I'll be back, I need to go get a refill," Lilly said as she stood up and let go of my hand which I just realized she was still holding. I watched her walk away then turned back to Oliver who was giving me a strange look.

"What's that look for?" I asked. I don't think I had ever seen that look on anyone's face but hey, it was Oliver.

"Miles, is something going on between you and Lilly?" Oliver asked as he crossed his arms over the table. I had no idea what prompted that question. Sure I was feeling something for Lilly, wasn't sure what it was but no one knew but me.

"Nothing's going on. Why? Have you noticed something?" I realized that I sounded more defensive than I meant to but I'm from Tennessee. I'm used to people not being open minded when it comes to having feelings for the same sex.

"I saw you two on the dance floor and from what it looked like, you two were about to kiss, plus, you two never stopped holding hands until she got up to refill her drink," Oliver said.

I took a deep breath, he was right. I couldn't explain these feelings. All I know is when Lilly and I were dancing, it was like it was just the two of us and I did want to kiss her. The confusing feelings I had now were almost overwhelming now and I know if it wasn't for that music producer, I would be focusing more on what happened between the two of us.

"I don't know Oliver. I would be lying if I said I wasn't feeling anything for her. I'm just so confused. My heart is telling me that I'm in love with her as more than just a friend but then there is my head that reminds me that I've always been told that romantic feelings toward the same sex are wrong."

Oliver took my hand across the table, I looked up and saw a kind smile on his face. "Miles, its ok. You can't help how you feel and it's definitely not wrong. I've known Lilly my entire life, she's probably had two boyfriends and a few crushes but that was it. In that time I never saw her look at anyone the way she looks at you. I'm just saying this because I want you two to be happy and this is the last thing you need on your plate."

I smiled at him. He was right, I was glad he came down over fall break, he turned out to be one of my greatest friends. The only weird part was that he could read me like an open book sometimes. "Thanks Oliver, you're a good friend," I said as I gently squeezed his hand.

Lilly's POV

I was walking back to my table after getting a refill from the soda fountain. I swear that line was huge, I just guessed people were thirsty, heck there was some line dancing song on a minute ago, and it would make anyone tired.

Right as I was about to approach our table, I saw Miley and Oliver holding hands. A pang of jealousy hit me right in the stomach, I didn't know why but I was ready to go over there and yell at Oliver. I didn't understand why at the time, I just didn't like that Oliver was holding Miley's hand. My pace quickened as I walked up to them. They both looked up at me right as they released each other's hand.

"Oliver, stop flirting with Miley," I said as I gave him a stern look. A look of amusement crossed his face and I wanted to smack it off but instead I just sat down.

"Why Lilly? Are you jealous?" Oliver asked.

Yes. "No you doughnut," I said as I glared at him. Did he know I had a crush on Miley?

"We were just talking Lils," Miley said with amusement in her voice. I looked over at her to see her laughing but trying to conceal her mouth with her hand.

My only response was to take a sip off my drink in order to hide my embarrassment.

Later that night found me awake at 3:00 in the morning. I just kept thinking how weird the evening was. Miley and I danced and almost kissed and then when I saw Miley and Oliver holding hands, I felt this extreme jealousy. I had been feeling things for Miley but I tried to just push those thoughts out of my head. Now was different though. There was no pushing those thoughts away.

We came home from the café at around eleven o'clock and we were so tired, we all just went straight to bed. I didn't get much sleep though. Every time I closed my eyes, all I could think about was that almost kiss that was ended abruptly. I did want to kiss her but I didn't know if she felt the same way and I didn't want to ruin the friendship.

I looked over at Miley's sleeping form and sighed, I decided that I needed some fresh air so I got out of bed and opened the doors to my balcony, walked outside, and sat down on the bench. I obviously needed to think. I needed to tell Miley, I would go crazy if I didn't but I didn't know how to tell her.

Miley's POV

I slowly rolled over and sighed. For about the fifth time that night, I had dreamt about that near kiss with Lilly. I looked up at the clock and those green numbers were telling me it was 3:15. I looked over to where Lilly was sleeping to find the covers had been turned down and she wasn't there. I sat up and rubbed my eyes. Once my eyes were completely open, I saw Lilly's balcony doors open with Lilly sitting on a bench.

She looked absolutely beautiful. The moonlights washed over her making her hair almost white. She closed her eyes as the breeze blew her hair back.

Then I realized, there was a breeze and all she was wearing was a tank top and pajama pants. I got out of bed and put on my bathrobe and grabbed hers off her side of the bed. I slowly walked outside and put the bathrobe on her shoulders. Lilly jumped as she turned around and saw me. "Hey, what are you doing up?" I asked as I walked around the bench and sat next to her.

"I'm just thinking, thanks for bringing me my bathrobe," Lilly said as she pulled the cloth fabric around her.

"You're welcome, I figured you were cold," I said. I could tell her eyes were distant, almost as if she was in another place and time. I heard her Chuckle and looked at her.

"Yeah, sometimes I forget how chilly it can get at night. I'm used to the breeze in Malibu where it would cool you off but not make you cold. I like Tennessee nights though, there is just something peaceful about them."

I smiled. "I know what you mean, whenever I was younger and couldn't sleep. I would go out on my balcony, look at the moon and stars. Listen to the sounds and watch fireflies fly around"

"Yeah, that's what I like about it." Lilly said with a sigh. "So what are you doing up?" Lilly asked turning to face me. I didn't know if I should tell her why so I didn't give details.

"I couldn't sleep either, too much on my mind," I said. Lilly tilted her head to the side then glanced back at the stars. She closed her eyes and sighed then turned back to face me. She took my hands in hers and I could see tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Miles, I need to talk to you about something but I want you to promise me that no matter what, we'll always be friends."

I could see the fear written on her face. I gently squeezed her hands and said, "Of course we will always be friends, you're the best friend I've ever had, there is nothing you could say or do that would make me stop being friends with you." I started feeling the butterflies in my stomach again and my heart was pounding in my ears. I didn't know what she was about to say, but I know what I was hoping she was about to say.

"I'm so confused," Lilly said, "I don't even know how to start this. Tonight, well, a few weeks, actually maybe since we first met, I've felt something for you. I can't explain it and it scares me. I know what I feel is more than just a best friend feeling. I just tried to brush it off as nothing but tonight, was different. We were dancing and all I wanted was for us to get closer. Is any of this making sense?"

I smiled gently. It was as if she was reading my mind and it put me at ease to know I wasn't alone with these feelings, "Yeah, it does. I felt the same way, well, have been feeling the same way about you. I can't necessarily explain it either."

Lilly got up and walked over to the balcony and looked at the moon again. I walked up next to her and rested my arms on the bars. "Miley, have you ever had feelings for another girl? Looking back, I dated guys but I don't think I felt the same way about them as my friends felt about their boyfriends."

The truth was, I had. When I was thirteen. "Lils, I'm about to tell you something I've never told a living soul." She looked at me, intrigued.

I sighed and started telling the story, "When I was thirteen, I had a friend. She was a wonderful friend until I realized I started having feelings for her. I would glance at her in class and feel a blush cross my cheeks whenever she complimented on my outfit or something. I went home, about to tell mama I thought I was in love with another girl. I was about to say something when my stepdad stormed into the house. He said his friend's daughter just came out as gay and how he was disgusted. He started yelling about how being gay was a mental Illness and how it was disgusting and perverted. I felt so ashamed of myself that I didn't say a word to anyone. I think my friend also realized I had feelings for her because she started keeping her distance. In eigth grade, I joined drama club because they were doing my favorite musical, The Sound of Music. My friend, who loved drama club, walked in, took one look at me and ran out and I found out the next day she dropped out of drama club. I felt even more ashamed. I was disgusted with myself."

Lilly's eyed widened as I told the story. "Miles, that's horrible! What happened to you friend? Not that I really care."

I laughed, "She hasn't had one successful relationship, she keeps going from one boy to the next. Seriously though, liking the same sex isn't gross. It took me a long time to accept that and to this day I don't know if I'm gay or what but I know, while I loved Travis, I wasn't in love with him. I never wanted to do anything sexual with him, actually the thought of it makes me want to throw up."

"I'm just so confused Miles. I don't know what these feelings are," Lilly said as tears started flowing down her face. I reached out and wrapped her in a hug.

"I know, I completely understand but hey, we can figure this out together," I said as she buried her face in my shoulder.

"I'm glad I have you Miley," Lilly said as she pulled away a little bit and looked in my eyes.

I smiled, "I'm glad I have you too Lils."

All of a sudden I felt that force again that pulled us together again but this time there was nothing to interrupt us. Finally our lips met. The first kiss was slow and sweet. It was nothing I had ever felt before. Not even Travis made me feel this way. The kiss was sending electric bolts through my body. I could see fireworks going off. I could smell her shampoo which smelled like apples. Her lips were so soft that I wanted to keep my lips on her forever. The butterflies in my stomach were flying wildly and my heart was fluttering. After a few seconds, air became a need so wee slowly parted.

"Wow," we both said at the same time.

"Damn that stupid music producer," Lilly suddenly blurted out. I raised my eyebrow.

"What are you talking about Lils?"

"If that music producer hadn't interrupted us, I could have felt that sooner," Lilly said.

I chuckled," Yeah, I know the feeling."

"Hey Miles?"

"Yeah Lil?"

"I mean, I knew this before we kissed, but I love you," Lilly said with a smile on her face.

My heart all of a sudden felt like it was floating all over my body. So this is what love felt like? I had never felt this way towards anyone before, not until I met Lilly. "I love you too Lils. So what does this mean for us?" I asked. I hoped it meant we were dating but I had to be sure.

"Well, I'm hoping you'll be my girlfriend." Lilly said with a smile.

"Of course Lils, only if you will be mine." We smiled at each other before our lips met in another kiss. This time, our tears were tears of happiness. I couldn't believe it but Oliver was right about Lilly and I. How he knew, I have no idea, I didn't realize we were that obvious.

We pulled away after a couple of seconds. I smiled at her and gently rubbed her arms. "Are you feeling better now," I asked.

"Yeah, I am," Lilly said softly. "Now I'm getting sleepy. Want to go back to bed?"

Since Lilly and I had our talk, I could feel the need for sleep overwhelm me. "Yeah, I am."

We walked inside and closed the balcony doors. Then we put our bathrobes on the end of the bed and got under the covers. I felt so much happier than I ever did. It was like everything that happened in my life was supposed to happen to lead me to this night.

"Miles? Have you thought about calling that music producer?" Lilly asked pulling me out of my thoughts. I had completely forgotten about that.

"A little bit. I don't know Lils, what if I'm not good enough. I know you and Oliver think I'm good but what if the rest of the world doesn't?" I said as I leaned back against the pillows.

"Well then at least you can say you tried. Miles, you've always dreamt of this, do you think you'll regret this if you don't take this chance?" Lilly asked. She had a point. I knew I would regret it.

"I'm just afraid Lils." I said.

"Miley, don't let fear stop you. Go for it and if it doesn't work out, at least you can say you tried." I looked at her and smiled.

"Ok, I'll call my dad tomorrow and tell him about what happened. He works in the music industry, he knows more about this than I do. I'll get his advice then call the music producer." Something about calling the producer just clicked, it was almost as it was supposed to happen.

"Good," Lilly said as she laid he head on my shoulder and cuddled into my side. I kissed the top of her head then drifted off into sleep.

For the first time in a long time, everything felt right.


End file.
